Adidas Sues Australian Retailer White Fox Over Four-Striped Apparel Design

German sportswear giant Adidas has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Australian fashion label White Fox in Australia's Federal Court. The multinational brand alleges that White Fox's apparel featuring a four-stripe design is "deceptively similar" to its iconic three-stripe trademark. According to Adidas, White Fox refused repeated demands to halt the production and advertising of the contested clothing line starting in March, prompting legal action over intellectual property rights.\n\nIn court documents, Adidas argued that the Sydney-based retailer harbored an "intention to trade off our reputation" and sought to create consumer confusion. The sportswear company highlighted promotional imagery showing models wearing authentic Adidas footwear alongside White Fox items, alleging that Adidas logos were digitally manipulated after proceedings began. Seeking unspecified damages and profits with interest, Adidas, which recorded €24.8 billion in revenue in 2025, claimed the four parallel stripes encroach heavily on its trademark registered in Australia since 1957.\n\nWhite Fox's legal counsel denied any trademark breach before Justice Ian Jackman on Friday. The defense indicated plans to argue that other prominent Australian fashion retailers, such as Cotton On and Glassons, regularly produce garments featuring similar decorative striping without legal contest. Founded in 2013 by Georgia and Daniel Contos, White Fox has rapidly scaled internationally, reporting AU$542 million ($377 million) in revenue for the financial year ending June 2025, driven by viral influencer marketing across Australia, the UK, and the United States.\n\nThe Federal Court is scheduled to hear the dispute during a three- to four-day trial early next year. Adidas has a history of aggressively defending its stripe trademarks globally and in Australia, where it previously won a 2013 lawsuit against Pacific Brands over four-striped footwear. The impending verdict will serve as a significant benchmark for how close fast-fashion retailers can venture to legacy brand motifs without infringing on established intellectual property.