Adidas Loses Stripes Trademark Case Against Thom Browne

Update 1/12/22: A jury found Thom Browne not liable for the stripes trademark infringement case brought by Adidas. “We are pleased that the jury found that at no time did Thom Browne Inc. infringe on any of Adidas’ trademarks … We look forward to continuing to design and provide the creative products that have become the hallmark of the Thom Browne label,” a Thom Browne spokesperson said.

Original 1/4/22:For Thom Browne, the first business day of the New Year was spent at a courthouse for the start of his trial against Adidas, where he wore his signature uniform of a shrunken gray suit.

His outfit came into focus during the trademark dispute case after his attorney Robert T. Maldonado introduced Browne to the jury and pointed out his striped stocks and short suit, according to WWD.

He described Browne's look as his daily work “uniform” that he and his staff wear every day and that the four parallel bars on his socks (which Adidas is taking issue with and is at the core of their lawsuit, alleging that it's an infringement of their stripes trademark) has been a “branding element” for the past decade.

Maldonado stated that "three stripes are not the same as four horizontal bars." He also added: “Thom Browne does not compete with Adidas. Thom Browne is a luxury designer and Adidas is a sports brand.”

Adidas is $867,225 in damages and the $7 million it alleges Thom Browne has made in profit for selling products with the stripes. WWD notes the trial is expected to last two weeks and that both Browne and his CEO Rodrigo Bazan are expected to testify.

Photo via Getty