Featured image: Illustration for “Adidas Sues White Fox Over Four-Stripes Design”. AI-generated image; not a photograph of the reported event.
Adidas has sued White Fox over its four-striped clothing design. The brand says it is deceptively similar to its own three-stripes logo. Source: bbc.co.uk.
What Happened
Adidas filed a lawsuit in the Federal Court of Australia. It claims White Fox has sold and advertised four-striped clothes since at least March 2025.
The company says these designs are substantially similar to its trademarked three-stripes, protected since 1957 in Australia.
Key Claims
- Adidas says White Fox’s designs are ‘deceptively similar’ to its logo.
- White Fox ads show people wearing genuine Adidas items. This may mislead consumers into thinking Adidas endorses the design.
- Adidas claims images of White Fox socks with pink Adidas shoes were digitally altered to remove stripes.
- White Fox has not filed a formal defence. Its lawyers deny any trademark breach.
- White Fox argues brands like Cotton On and Sportscraft also use similar striped designs.
Background: How the Lawsuit Works
Trademark law protects designs that consumers link to a brand. A brand can sue if another design causes confusion or misleads the public.
Adidas won a similar case in 2013 against Pacific Brands for selling four-striped shoes.
It submitted side-by-side images of its products and White Fox’s sweatpants and lounge shorts to back its claim.
Why This Case Matters
It shows rising conflict between fashion innovation and brand protection.
It may shape how similar designs are judged in Australia’s fast-fashion sector.
For more on fashion and intellectual property disputes, see the original BBC report.
