Adidas

Adidas, a global sportswear and athletic footwear brand, has a storied history dating back to 1949 when it was founded by Adolf Dassler in Germany. The company quickly gained recognition for its innovative approach to athletic footwear, introducing the first-ever screw-in stud for soccer shoes. The “three stripes” trademark, was designed by Adi Dassler in order to identify his sport shoes from those made by other manufacturers. It was first used in adidas footwear in 1949 and over the years the trademark acquired iconic status.

Adidas is known for actively monitoring and defending its trademarks against potential infringements. In recent years, Adidas has engaged in legal actions to protect its intellectual property. Adidas has been involved in multiple disputes with Skechers over the years regarding the use of stripe designs. In 2016, Adidas sued Skechers, claiming that Skechers' sneakers infringed upon Adidas's three-stripe trademark. The case highlighted the similarity in design elements between Skechers' shoes and Adidas's iconic stripes. In 2017, Adidas filed a lawsuit against Forever 21 for allegedly infringing on its trademark by selling clothing items featuring stripes similar to Adidas's iconic three-stripe design. Adidas claimed that Forever 21's use of these stripes on sportswear and shoes created confusion among consumers.