Dispute in court
Nike vs. Adidas: Not all stripes are banned
The US sporting goods manufacturer Nike is no longer allowed to sell a certain pair of sports shorts in Germany due to their close resemblance to the three-stripe design of its competitor Adidas. However, this is only a partial victory in the logo dispute: Because not every stripe pattern on sports pants is generally prohibited.
This is the result of a ruling by the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court on Tuesday. In the case of four other pairs of pants whose stripe design Adidas had also objected to, the court rejected the trademark lawsuit and thus changed a ruling by the lower court. Unlike the Düsseldorf Regional Court, the Higher Regional Court saw sufficient differences to the Adidas design in these pants. "Not every side stripe pattern on sports pants is to be prohibited", the court stated. The judgment is final.
Adidas had seen its trademark protection infringed by the five pairs of pants in 2022 and filed a lawsuit. The Düsseldorf Regional Court then issued an order prohibiting Nike from selling the pants in Germany. The US company filed an appeal. In September 2023, the regional court confirmed the decision, whereupon Nike appealed.
Dispute over stripes has been going on for some time
This is not the first time that the two companies have clashed in court over their trademark rights. In 2005, a court banned Nike from selling shoes with two stripes because they were too similar to the Adidas logo.
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