The European Court of Justice refused to recognize the logo of the German company Adidas as a trademark, which may be subject to legal protection. This is stated in the decision published on the website of the court.

The court ruled that the Adidas logo, which consists of a triangle of three oblique stripes, “does not contain sufficient distinctive features” to be registered as a trademark.

In 2016, the European Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) refused to register the Adidas trademark on the same grounds. According to the trial materials, a trademark cannot consist only of repeating elements, it must be figurative.

In addition, the court decision was a refusal to Adidas’ demand to change the logo of the Belgian company Shoe Branding Europe BVBA (two black oblique stripes on a white background). Adidas claimed that the BVBA logo strongly resembled their trademark. In order for it to be banned, Adidas needed to first confirm that their own logo was a protected trademark.

On June 17, Lithuanian deputies demanded from Adidas not to use Soviet symbols on their products. They were outraged that in one of the Adidas stores in London, according to social media reports, T-shirts with the emblem of the USSR were sold.