This week, Adidas filed a lawsuit in New York Southern District Court, accusing Thom Browne of ripping off the brand's Three-Stripe Mark.
According to the lawsuit, Adidas alleges that Thom Browne is "infringing on Adidas' Three-Stripe Mark." The suit asks the court to "permanently enjoin Thom Browne from distributing, marketing or selling apparel and footwear using or bearing confusingly similar imitations of the Adidas Three-Stripe Mark."
Adidas has reportedly been hot on Browne since 2018. In 2019, it was reported that the New York designer switched its number of stripes from three to four after being "investigated" by Adidas. Aside from preventing the designer from selling clothing and accessories with stripes, Adidas hopes to procure monetary damages from the American fashion brand.
In the legal documents, Adidas' lawyers said the following:
"Despite Thom Browne's knowledge of adidas's rights in the famous Three-Stripe Mark, Thom Browne has expanded its product offerings far beyond formal wear and business attire and is now offering for sale and selling athletic-style apparel and footwear featuring two, three, or four parallel stripes in a manner that is confusingly similar to adidas's Three-Stripe Mark."
Adidas has sued pretty much everyone that dares to use stripes. In the past, the German sportswear company filed lawsuits with Payless, Ralph Lauren, Abercrombie & Fitch, Target, Marc Jacobs, Sears, Forever 21, Skechers, and APL, among others.
