Luxembourg, July 11: Adidas-Salomon AG, the world's second biggest sportswear maker, received a legal setback in a fight to protect its famed three-stripe logo. A legal expert at the European Union's High Court yesterday rejected Adidas' claim that a two-stripe design used by Dutch rival Fitnessworld Trading Ltd infringes on the German company's trade mark and confuses consumers.


Advocate General Francis Jacobs of the European Court of Justice said Fitnessworld's double-stripe was a "simple decorative embellishment" that could not be contested as a trademark. The court's final decision is expected in the next few months. Although the advocate general's opinion isn't binding, the court usually follows it.

A Dutch court first rejected Adidas' complaint in 1998, but the sportswear giant pursued the case to the European Court. Bureau Report