Adidas sues Marc Jacobs over stripes design

Marc Jacobs has been in the headlines quite a bit lately between announcing that they are discontinuing Marc by Marc Jacobs and rumors swirling around about a potential IPO. This time, the luxury fashion label has found themselves in hot water for allegedly ripping off Adidas's stripe design. Marc Jacobs currently has a sweater available with four stripes running down the arm, which Adidas says is too similar to their iconic three stripes design.

A complaint was filed with the U.S. District Court of Oregon, Adidas accused Marc Jacobs of trademark infringement and dilution, unfair competition, and deceptive trade practices. The sweaters in question are actually from the Marc by Marc Jacobs line and are Katie Hillier's and Luella Bartley's designs. While their design has four stripes and Adidas' has three, there is no denying there is a distinct similarity between the designs.

Adidas sues Marc Jacobs over stripes design

Although, with Marc by Marc Jacobs being discontinued soon this might as well be a moot point. Adidas has said cited an article in which their iconic three stripe logo was called "trademark", and have said that Marc Jacobs is misleading consumers into thinking they are looking at Adidas apparel, which could tarnish their reputation among customers. While many people may not think that Marc Jacobs and Adidas are competitors, they tend to forget that Adidas also has the higher end Y-3 line which is definitely a Marc Jacobs competitor.

Y-3 is a collaboration between Adidas and luxury designer Yohji Yamamoto. So, in the end, Adidas has more to lose from Marc Jacobs copying their designs than most people might think. With Marc by Marc Jacobs being discontinued it is unclear how this will play out once it heads to court, because Adidas will be fighting against a division of a brand that no longer exists. A rep for Marc Jacobs was not available for immediate commentary. Hopefully Marc Jacobs International can find an expert in fashion law, and fast.

Photo: New York Post