Adidas trademarked stripes cannot go sideways : EU Judges

Adidas AG lost a European Union (EU) court fight for broader trademark protection of its iconic three-stripe logo.

The sportswear giants trademark on three slanted bands does not apply to stripes going vertically, horizontally or other directions, the EU General Court in Luxembourg ruled on Wednesday. The company failed to show such branding had a distinctive character, the court said.

This is not the first time the company has been in the EU courts. The blocs top judges in 2008 favoured Adidas in a dispute with retailers about their rights to sell clothing with stripes similar to its three-striped design. Three years ago, the top EU court decided the company may be able to fight the use by rivals of parallel stripes on the side of sports shoes.

Adidas said it is disappointed. But the ruling is limited to this particular execution of the three-stripe mark and has no impact on the broad scope of protection that Adidas has on its well-known three-stripe mark in various forms in Europe.

Wednesday’s ruling concerns an EU trademark registered in 2014 but later annulled following the successful challenge by a Belgian company.