Adidas Loses Trademark Infringement Case Against Thom Browne
In a recent development in the trademark infringement case between sports giant adidas and fashion designer Thom Browne, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has upheld the district court’s decision in favor of Thom Browne.
The dispute revolves around Thom Browne’s “four stripes” design, which adidas claimed infringed upon its iconic “three stripes” trademark. The original verdict was handed down in January of last year in the Southern District Court of Manhattan.
However, last October, adidas discovered four undisclosed internal company emails from Thom Browne that showed the designer had instructed its designers not to use stripes in their collection between 2016 and 2019 to avoid confusion with adidas. Adidas believed these emails were evidence that Thom Browne also recognized the potential infringement of the stripe design and requested a retrial.
Thom Browne has maintained that the emails were not intentionally hidden and were not relevant to the case at hand, as they were related to products designed for the Spanish football team Barcelona Football Club and a retail store in Asia.
The trademark infringement case, which began in 2021, has seen adidas seek $867,225 in compensation and an additional $7 million in profits. With the recent decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Thom Browne has emerged victorious in this legal battle.
As both parties await further developments, the fashion and sports industries are closely watching the outcome of this high-profile case.