adidas has sued Kmart for selling apparel copying its three-stripe mark. The suit, filed in the U.S. District of Oregon in Portland, claims Kmart sold sweatpants with three parallel stripes running along the outseam of each leg as well as jackets with parallel stripes running along each sleeve.
In the complaint, adidas said this violates its trademark for clothing bearing the mark. adidas said that as early as 1967, it began using the three-stripe mark on apparel in the U.S. and worldwide and it has become synonymous with the reputation of the brand. The lawsuit seeks to enjoin Kmart from selling any apparel bearing the three-stripe mark, as well as profits from any sales of infringing items and treble damages.
