Adidas loses the trademark dispute with upscale fashion designer Thom Browne.

In an effort to prevent a fashion designer from utilizing a four-stripe pattern, Adidas lost a legal battle.

Thom Browne Inc.'s four stripes, according to the sportswear juggernaut, were too close to its three stripes.

Given that his brand had a different number of stripes from the other, among other factors, Browne stated that customers were unlikely to mix the two brands.

Adidas had intended to seek more than $7.8 million (£6.4 million) in damages, but a New York jury decided in favor of Browne.

Four horizontal, parallel stripes that circle the sleeve of a garment or, as frequently seen on the designer himself, a pair of socks, are a recurring motif in Browne's creations.

Three stripes are a common feature in Adidas designs.

The defense team for Browne positioned him as the underdog going up against a powerful corporation and contended that the two brands catered to different markets.

Thom Browne Inc. produces high-end clothing for wealthy customers; for instance, a pair of women's compression leggings costs £680 while a polo shirt costs £270. Sportswear does not predominate the company's designs.

Additionally, Browne's attorneys asserted that stripes constitute a typical pattern.

Although Adidas first filed a lawsuit in 2021, the conflict between the two businesses has been going on for more than 15 years.

Adidas voiced their displeasure in 2007 when Thom Browne started adopting the three-stripe pattern on jackets. With the addition of a fourth stripe, Browne decided to discontinue utilizing it.

Since then, Thom Browne Inc. has rapidly expanded and is now available in more than 300 locations across the globe. Recently, it has increased the amount of athletic gear it produces.

The fan base of the company is diverse. It created Cardi B's costume for the 2019 Met Gala, and Scott Parker, the manager of Bournemouth and a former professional footballer, wore one of its cardigans and a blazer to games.

Adidas expressed its disappointment but promised to "continue to vigilantly enforce our intellectual property, including filing any necessary appeals."

A Thom Browne Inc. spokeswoman expressed the company's satisfaction with the result. The designer expressed his hope that the case would encourage others whose work is being contested by larger corporations in an interview with the Associated Press.

He remarked, "It was necessary to fight and share my tale.

According to the case's documents, Adidas has filed more than 200 settlement agreements and engaged in more than 90 court battles in relation to its trademark since 2008.