BERLIN (Reuters) – Nike (NYSE:) can put three stripes on some of its pants in Germany, a judge ruled Tuesday in a second appeal hearing that pitted the U.S. sportswear maker against smaller rival Adidas (OTC:).
The Düsseldorf regional court has already banned the US firm from using two or three stripes on five trouser models after Adidas filed a trademark infringement lawsuit in 2022.
Nike can now use the stripes on the four controversial models while the ban on the one remaining model remains in effect, the court said, partially overturning the previous decision.
The three parallel stripes are a well-known Adidas trademark that the company tirelessly defends in various courtrooms around the world.
However, a year ago, the German brand decided to withdraw its lawsuit against the yellow three-stripe Black Lives Matter logo, fearing that its objection could be seen as criticism of the anti-racism organization.
Nike argues that Adidas’ scope of protection is too narrow, saying the striped embellishment does not necessarily belong to the brand it belongs to.