Adidas shows no sign of backing off in its relentless pursuit to protect its three stripe trademark. The sports giant is back in a London court this week in the latest round of its legal war with Thom Browne.

The New York luxury label, known for its slim fitting suits, is seeking to invalidate trademarks covering the Adidas three-stripe logo. Adidas has countersued, claiming Thom Browne has violated its trademarks in using a four stripe motif on its clothing which could confuse consumers into believing the clothing is connected to Adidas.

According to Philip Roberts KC representing Thom Browne, ‘the breadth of Adidas’s asserted monopoly threatens the basic freedom of fashion designers to design clothing in the manner they wish.’

Browne has been using the four stripes since stripes 2007, when Adidas said a jacket which the company produced that had three stripes, was too close to its trademarked design. For Adidas, however, this addition of a forth stripe wasn’t good enough with their lawyers stating that the “tipping point” came in 2020, when Thom Browne launched a range of sportswear that “strikes at the heart” of its business.

 In 2023, a US court found that Them Browne’s use of four stripes and a grosgrain ribbon, did not infringe upon Adidas’s three stripe trademark.

Adidas has been using its three-stripe logo since the 1950s, and has not been shy in protecting its trademark. The company has filed more than 90 lawsuits and reached more than 200 settlements related to the trademark since 2008, including against Marc Jacobs and Juicy Couture.

In addition to its current dispute in London, which is expected to conclude next week, Thom Browne is also bringing separate trademark litigation against Adidas in the Netherlands and at the European Union Intellectual Property Office.