On Thursday, a jury ruled in favor of luxury fashion brand Thom Browne in a trademark infringement suit brought by Adidas. The sportswear giant had accused Browne of using its iconic “three stripes” design without permission and sought $7.8 million in damages related to the dispute.
The case centered around two of Thom Browne’s designs: the “Four-Bar Signature” stripes and the “Grosgrain Signature”, a red, white and blue line pattern. Adidas argued that the stripe pattern was just three stripes and that Thom Browne had illegally “imitated” their logo. Browne’s team, however, argued that the Grosgrain Signature in fact featured five stripes. After a one-week trial and three hours of jury deliberation, the eight-person jury ruled in favor of Thom Browne.
Adidas expressed disappointment with the verdict and said it would continue to “vigilantly enforce” its intellectual property. The jury’s ruling in favor of Thom Browne marks the end of a long-running legal dispute between the two brands and serves as a reminder of the importance of correctly understanding and adhering to trademark laws when designing and manufacturing goods.