Trademark news and archive

Adidas loses its lawsuit against Isabel Marant and Sandro

In a major blow for Adidas, the Court of Cassation, France's supreme court for civil and criminal cases, definitively ruled on June 26, 2024 in favour of Isabel Marant and Sandro, thus ending six years of litigation. The German sportswear manufacturer filed a lawsuit in 2018, accusing the two fashion brands of counterfeiting its famous three...

Business

Crocs settles legal dispute with Australia’s Mosaic

Footwear brand Crocs has settled its lawsuit against Mosaic Brand Limited, an Australian fashion retail group that it accused of intellectual property infringement. Crocs had first filed the case with the Federal Court of Australia in 2021, alleging that Mosaic's moulded foam shoes had infringed on its trademark-protected Classic Clog shoe. The...

Business

Adidas and Thom Browne continue trademark battle in UK court

In continuation of a long-winded dispute over trademarks, Adidas and Thom Browne have now taken to the UK’s High Court to once again battle it out over the use of stripes. Back in 2021, US designer Thom Browne had sued Adidas in London in a bid to cancel out several trademarks that featured the sportswear label's three-stripe motif. According to...

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The silent luxury giant Hermès and the loud legal battle over the Birkin bag

French fashion house Hermès has not only made headlines recently for its continued growth, but has also been in the public eye for its ongoing legal battles. The disputes surrounding the iconic Birkin bag not only delve deep into the digital realm, but also raise questions about artistic freedom and whether there is a right to luxury. Trademark...

Business

Fast fashion face off: Shein hit with lawsuit from competitor Oh Polly

Shein is, once again, facing legal troubles. This time, the Chinese fast fashion giant has been confronted with a lawsuit from a direct competitor, UK-based brand Oh Polly. The complaint, which was filed with England’s High Court, was registered on the Intellectual Property list and was issued by both Oh Polly and its sister brand Bo&Tee. This...

Business

Stripes on Nike sports pants violate Adidas' trademark rights

Sportswear brand Nike may no longer sell a particular pair of sports trousers in Germany because they are very similar to competitor Adidas' three-stripe design. This was decided by the Oberlandesgericht (a form of the higher court, ed.) Düsseldorf on Tuesday in an appeal case. In the case of four other trousers whose stripe design Adidas had...

Business

Dr. Martens sues Temu for trademark infringement

Footwear specialist Dr. Martens is preparing to take on Temu for alleged trademark infringement, launching a lawsuit in an attempt to halt the Chinese marketplace from using keywords associated with the brand. The legal action was taken to the UK’s High Court, according to a report by the Times, for which a case filing alleged that Temu had been...

Business

Thom Browne vs Adidas: A look into the law behind the battle of the stripes

Earlier in January, the next stage in Adidas’ lawsuit against Thom Browne unfolded, another decision in the evolving “battle of the stripes” saga, a story that Dutch law firm Köster had also been following. There has long been a dispute between Thom Browne and Adidas over the stripes, with several lawsuits having already taken place in the US,...

Business

Uniqlo's parent company files lawsuit against Shein over plagiarised shoulder bag

Fast Retailing, the parent company of Uniqlo, is filing a lawsuit against fast fashion giant Shein. The Chinese e-tailer allegedly copied Uniqlo's popular shoulder bag. Fast Retailing is demanding immediate cessation of sales of the imitated product and compensation for damages suffered by the company. Fast Retailing filed the complaint on 28...

Business

Christian Louboutin accuses former employee of infringement in lawsuit

Footwear specialist Christian Louboutin has filed a lawsuit against a former employee, coming forward with accusations of stealing and infringement, as well as violating an employee agreement. A new suit with the US court for the Southern District of New York names the defendant as Mehdi Mohamed Nasrallah, a former assistant boutique manager at...

Business

Temu wins first case against ‘infringing’ website domains

E-commerce marketplace Temu has won its first case against one of the 20 website domains it claims are infringing on its trademarks. The ruling was made at the US District Court for the District of Arizona, where Temu had filed an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against the defendants, dltemuapp.com,...

Business

Temu files lawsuit against 20 domains as it ramps up trademark protection

E-commerce marketplace Temu, hailed as the newest direct competitor to Shein, has said that it has filed a series of lawsuits against website domains that are “unlawfully doing business on its behalf”. The company made the complaint against 20 website domains with the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, in which it claimed...