Adidas sues Australian label White Fox over four stripes design

What the report says

Adidas has taken Australian fashion label White Fox to the Federal Court of Australia, accusing the Sydney-based retailer of selling and promoting clothing with a four-striped design that it says is too close to Adidas’s three-stripe trademark. According to court documents reported by BBC World News, Adidas says it has asked White Fox to stop the sales and marketing since March, but the company continued. The German sportswear group is also seeking damages, including profits from the disputed products, plus interest and costs.

The case centers on whether White Fox’s designs and advertising are likely to create confusion among shoppers. Adidas argues that White Fox’s striped clothing and some related ads, including images showing people wearing Adidas footwear, could suggest an association or approval that does not exist. BBC World News reported that the first hearing was due to begin on Friday, and that lawyers for both companies declined to comment.

Adidas says its three-stripe mark has been registered in Australia since 1957 and has built a strong reputation there. White Fox, launched in 2013 and known for fast-fashion sales online, has grown quickly in Australia and overseas, including the UK and US. The dispute follows an earlier 2013 Australian case in which Adidas successfully challenged another company over a four-stripe shoe design.