Adidas has accused Australian fashion retailer White Fox of exploiting its reputation by selling clothing featuring four stripes that allegedly resemble the German sportswear company's trademarked three-stripe design.
The dispute, now before Australia's Federal Court, centres on whether White Fox's designs could mislead consumers into believing the two brands are commercially associated.
White Fox denies infringing Adidas's trademark and maintains that its stripes are decorative rather than a brand identifier.
Adidas alleges that White Fox has sold and advertised clothing featuring four parallel stripes of equal width since at least March, despite repeated requests to discontinue the designs.
The German company argues that the products are deceptively similar to its established trademark, which has been registered in Australia since 1957.
During Friday's court hearing, Adidas's lawyers accused White Fox of attempting to benefit from the sportswear company's reputation.
Evidence submitted included comparisons of clothing designs, promotional advertisements and images showing White Fox products alongside genuine Adidas footwear.
Adidas also alleged that an online advertisement featuring White Fox socks and Adidas shoes was subsequently digitally altered to remove the footwear's distinctive stripes.
The company is seeking damages, including profits generated from the disputed products, interest and legal costs.
White Fox's lawyers rejected the infringement allegations and indicated that the company would challenge whether consumers could reasonably confuse four decorative stripes with Adidas's trademark.
The retailer intends to reference comparable designs sold by other fashion brands, including Cotton On, Glassons, Sportscraft, Princess Polly and Shein.
Although White Fox has not formally filed its defence, its representatives maintain that the disputed stripes serve a decorative purpose.
The case follows Adidas's successful 2013 Australian lawsuit against Pacific Brands involving four-striped footwear.
Founded in 2013, Sydney-based White Fox has expanded internationally, including into the United Kingdom in 2024, while developing a growing American presence.
The retailer reported AU$542 million in revenue for the year ending June 2025.
A trial lasting three to four days is expected early next year.