Adidas Clubs Golfing League’s Attempt To Register ‘Confusingly Similar’ Logo
Photos 268375480 © Louis Mormile and 46526959 © Genevieve Rivet | Dreamstime.com
Adidas has been fiercely protective over its three bars, like a tiger and its, well, stripes. The German sportswear giant has famously gone after Thom Browne for its use of four stripes across apparel in a yearslong battle. Now, it’s hoping to score a hole-in-one against a golf tournament.
Last week, the brand opposed LIV Golf’s attempt to trademark its branding of the letter L made up of “four vertical parallel lines that intersect with four horizontal parallel lines.”
The name of LIV Golf, which was founded in 2021, alludes to the Roman numerals for 54. The golf tour is funded by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, whose monarchy is often called out for its handling of human rights and corruption rate.
Adidas opposes LIV Golf at the Trademark Trial and Appeal Boar over similarity of LIV's logo to the Adidas three-stripe mark: https://t.co/7fpN4V6NFl pic.twitter.com/pzeQF07ZU7
— Michael McCann (@McCannSportsLaw) September 27, 2023
Denouncing the “confusingly similar” logo, Adidas said LIV’s four-stripe formation could mislead customers into thinking both brands were affiliated with each other, according to Sportico’s legal expert Michael McCann.
Further, LIV’s trademark application cites protection for golf clothing and other types of products that Adidas retails, the sporting goods company argued. Adidas also sponsors several tournaments, and LIV being one could blur the line even more, the retailer noted in its complaint.
Adidas additionally claimed that the striped L mark could “dilute the distinctiveness” of the “exclusive identification” of its brand, which consumers have grown familiar with. As a result, the German brand said its abilities to distinguish itself using its marks could be diminished.
The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board at the US Patent and Trademark Office will now evaluate Adidas’s stance.
[via Sportico and Footwear News, images via various sources]
