Adidas sues Australian label White Fox over four stripes
Adidas is taking Australian clothing brand White Fox to court over its use of a four-striped design, which the German sportswear giant claims is “deceptively similar” to its famous three-stripe logo. The case opened in the Federal Court on Friday, with Adidas alleging that White Fox has been selling and advertising clothes with four parallel stripes since at least March, despite repeated requests to stop.
Trademark battle in court
Adidas lawyers told the court that White Fox’s actions showed an “intention to trade off our reputation.” The company’s statement of claim says its three-striped design has a “substantial and valuable reputation” in Australia, where it has been trademarked since 1957. Adidas argues that White Fox’s designs are “substantially identical with or otherwise deceptively similar” to its own, and could lead consumers to believe the brands are associated.
White Fox, a Sydney-based fast-fashion retailer popular with teenagers and young adults, has not yet filed a formal defence. But its lawyers indicated they will argue that other prominent Australian brands, including Cotton On, Sportscraft and Glassons, sell clothes with “similar decorative stripes.” The company denies any breach of trademark.
Adidas has submitted evidence including side-by-side comparisons of products and images of billboards on buses and at bus stops. One online listing from June 2025 showed White Fox socks modelled by someone wearing pink Adidas shoes; days after proceedings were lodged, the Adidas logo was digitally altered to remove one stripe, and a week later all three stripes were scrubbed from the image. Adidas is seeking damages, including profits from the products plus interest and costs. The trial is expected to last three to four days early next year. Adidas previously sued Pacific Brands in 2013 over four-striped shoes and won. White Fox, launched in 2013, reported revenue of AU$542 million in the 12 months to June 2025, up from $121 million in 2022.
