“Adidas will withdraw its opposition to the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation’s (“BLMGNF”) trademark application as soon as possible,” the company said in a statement to Reuters.
Adidas recently filed a request to have the Black Lives Matter filing trademark a three-striped logo. However, the sneakers company has just rescinded their request. Adidas has been known for its three-striped logo for over 70 years. In their initial request to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, they claimed that the BLMGNF’s attempt to trademark a three-striped logo would cause customer confusion. They go on to say that BLMGNF’s application incorporates three stripes in a manner that is confusingly similar” to the company’s familiar three-stripe logo “in appearance and overall commercial impression.”
According to reports, the sneaker company’s decision to request the dismissal of the trademark was based on fear of public misinterpretation that the company’s opposition would be confused for not supporting BLMGNF’s mission.
This came shortly after a failed attempt by Adidas to challenge fashion designer Thom Browne, who was accused of using stripes in his designs in a way that was “too similar “ to the Adidas stripes. A Manhattan Federal Jury ruled against the sneaker company.
