What changed
Adidas has sued Australian fashion retailer White Fox in the Federal Court over clothing and advertising featuring four parallel stripes. Adidas says the designs are deceptively similar to its three-stripe trademark, which has been registered in Australia since 1957.
The company is seeking White Fox’s profits from the products, plus interest, costs and damages. The case’s first hearing is due on Friday.
Why it matters
This is a fight over whether a familiar visual shortcut belongs to one brand or can be used by another without creating confusion. Adidas says White Fox’s clothes, advertising and socks could make Australians think the two companies were associated or that Adidas approved the designs.
White Fox has not publicly explained its position. Both sides’ lawyers declined to comment, so the court will have to decide whether the four-stripe designs infringe Adidas’s trademark and whether consumers were misled.
The stakes are meaningful for both businesses. Adidas reported €24.8bn in revenue in 2025. White Fox generated AU$542m in the 12 months to June 2025, after growing fourfold from its 2022 figure of $121m.
Adidas also alleges that a White Fox image changed after proceedings were lodged: Adidas stripes on pink shoes were digitally altered, then removed entirely a week later. That allegation may matter as the court considers how the clothes were presented, not just how the garments themselves look.
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