Note: This article has been updated.
Three yellow stripes in the logo of a central foundation of the US movement Black Lives Matter (BLM) caused a trademark dispute with Adidas. The sporting goods group took action on Monday at the American Patent and Trademark Office against the use of the stripe design on clothing, bags and websites, among other things, but has since withdrawn: “We are already in the process of objecting to the trademark application of Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation,” said a company spokeswoman in Herzogenaurach on Wednesday. In the application submitted, Adidas referred to a likelihood of confusion, since the three stripes had been a trademark of the company since the 1950s.
Black Lives Matter is a loosely organized movement that has grown in strength in recent years, particularly after cases of brutal police violence against black Americans. The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation was founded in 2013 by the originators of the movement and is considered influential among activists. She had registered her trademark design with three stripes in November 2020, according to the documents.
Lawyer and trademark law expert Josh Gerben reports on the application in a Twitter thread. Adidas has always guarded its stripes extremely aggressively, he writes. According to his assessment, however, the difference in color and shape between Adidas and BLM products is so great that he gave the sporting goods company little chance in any legal dispute anyway.
This is not the first lawsuit of this kind for Adidas: As the Reuters news agency reports, the group has filed over 90 lawsuits since 2008 and reached more than 200 settlement agreements in connection with its logo. Most recently, the Herzogenaurach team suffered a defeat against US designer Thom Browne. The new CEO Bjørn Gulden is also faced with the task of getting the lurching company back on track (more on this here).
Watch the video: Adidas is one of the largest sporting goods manufacturers in the world. The German company has a rather controversial history. Our facts show what is behind the brand with the three stripes.
