In brief
Adidas claims its iconic three‑stripe design is protected by a 1957 trademark and that White Fox’s lately‑introduced four‑stripe garments are deceptively similar, potentially misleading consumers into thinking the brands are linked. The Australian retailer has repeatedly refused to stop selling the infringing items and is facing a lawsuit that seeks damages for profit, interest and costs. Adidas presented side‑by‑side evidence of overlapping designs, billboard adverts and altered images to bolster its claim. The case, set to hear first in Federal Court this Friday, highlights the growing tension over intellectual property in the fast‑fashion sector. White Fox, founded in 2013, reports significant revenue growth and expansion into the UK market, underscoring the high stakes of the dispute.
Adidas is suing Australian label White Fox for selling and advertising clothes with a four‑stripe design, arguing it is "deceptively similar" to the German brand’s distinct logo.
Since March, Adidas says it has repeatedly asked White Fox to stop selling and promoting the four‑stripe garments, but the Sydney‑based company has refused.
White Fox, a fast‑fashion online retailer that targets teens and university students, has relied on billboards, bus‑stop adverts and influencer partnerships for growth.
Both the Adidas and White Fox law teams declined to comment, and the first hearing is set to begin on Friday.
In Federal Court filings, Adidas highlighted that its three‑stripe design, trademarked in Australia in 1957, carries a "substantial and valuable reputation."
White Fox’s garments, which feature four parallel stripes of equal width, are therefore alleged to infringe that trademark.
Adidas also claims White Fox’s marketing shows customers wearing genuine Adidas products alongside the four‑stripe items, likely leading Australians to believe the two brands are associated or endorsed.
"White Fox is taking advantage of Adidas’s reputation, drawing an association in the minds of consumers, or at least sailing close to the wind," says the complaint.
Adidas is seeking damages that include the profit White Fox has made from the infringing products plus interest and court costs.
Evidence supplied by Adidas includes side‑by‑side comparisons of Adidas items with White Fox sweatpants, shorts and socks, as well as images of billboards on buses and at bus stops.
One illustration points out that a 2025 online listing showed a pair of White Fox socks modelled by someone wearing pink Adidas shoes. The following week, the Adidas logo on the shoes was digitally altered to remove one stripe, and then fully erased.
White Fox was founded in 2013 by Georgia and Daniel Contos, and has grown to generate AU$542 million (£286 million; $377 million) in revenue over the year to June 2025, a four‑fold jump from its 2022 figure.
The company also opened a UK operation in 2024 and had earlier sued Pacific Brands in 2013 over a similar four‑stripe dispute.
