A Seoul court has ruled against an online shopping company in a trademark infringement suit filed by Adidas Korea in November.

The company, disclosed to the media as “F,” used Adidas’ signature 3-line design, which the German sportswear firm has used since 1982.

It was ordered to cease production and sales of its sportswear with the design and destroy articles in storage, officials at the Seoul Central District Court said.

“One can frequently see famous players wearing Adidas apparel during a variety of sporting events, which have boosted company market shares, reputation and credibility,” said the officials.

The court said that owners of sportswear apparel know the signature design was Adidas’ and that the online company’s use of the design caused confusion and fell under unfair competitive practices.

“It is also hard to believe that consumers will look at the design and simply think of it as aesthetics,” said the court.

According to the ruling, it was likely that consumers would mistake F’s clothing as Adidas.

The Korean branch of the multinational company filed the lawsuit in November.
The copyright for the logo was registered in September 2009 and will remain valid until 2019. Based in Herzogenaurach, Germany, Adidas is the world’s sixth-biggest maker of athletic outdoor gear.

By Robert Lee (robert@heraldcorp.com)