DÜSSELDORF (dpa-AFX) - The sporting goods manufacturer Nike is no longer allowed to offer a certain pair of sports pants in Germany due to their close resemblance to the three-stripe design of its competitor Adidas. This was decided by the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court on Tuesday in appeal proceedings (case no. I-20 U 120/23).

In the case of four other pairs of pants whose stripe design Adidas had also objected to, the court dismissed the trademark lawsuit, thereby amending a ruling by the lower court. Unlike the Düsseldorf Regional Court, the Higher Regional Court saw sufficient differences to the Adidas design in these pants. "Not every side stripe pattern on sports pants is to be prohibited", the court stated. The judgment is final.

Adidas had seen its trademark protection infringed by the five pairs of pants in 2022 and filed a lawsuit. The Düsseldorf Regional Court then issued an order prohibiting Nike from selling the pants in Germany. The US company filed an appeal. In September 2023, the regional court confirmed the decision, whereupon Nike appealed./tob/DP/stw