Adidas sues sports firm over stripe design
German sportswear firm adidas has accused US-based apparel company Lands’ End in Oregon federal court, US, of infringing its trademarked triple-stripe design by intentionally mimicking the brand’s famous logo on its own trainers.
Adidas’ latest lawsuit seeking to protect its three-stripe mark claims that the clothing company was well aware of the trademark when it began selling trainers using allegedly similar designs.
“In blatant disregard of Adidas’ rights, Lands’ End is designing, manufacturing, sourcing, importing, distributing, marketing, promoting, offering for sale and/or selling footwear in interstate commerce that bears a confusingly similar imitation of Adidas’ three-stripe mark,” the complaint said.
Adidas has repeatedly targeted big-name retailers and manufacturers over its three-stripe mark, winning millions of dollars in damages against the holding company for the Payless ShoeSource footwear chain and a settlement with Wal-Mart Stores.
The latest complaint highlights two particular men’s and boys’ shoe styles that Adidas maintains violate its trademark.
One, called the classic skate shoe, is a black trainer with a white base, white laces and two white stripes with zig-zag cut outside edges. The other, marketed as slip-on trekker shoes, is a hiking-styled trainer with four strips on either side through which the laces are looped.
Adidas maintains that the designs on those shoes and others are confusingly similar to its own mark and are likely to mislead consumers about whether the sneakers were made by or with the permission of the German company.
The company had tried to resolve the matter with Lands’ End outside of litigation but said its efforts proved unsuccessful.
The complaint, which includes federal and state trademark infringement and dilution claims, among others, seeks injunctive relief, compensatory and punitive damages, and an order forcing the company to recall and destroy the relevant merchandise.
