EU high court rules against Adidas in trademark case

LUXEMBOURG (AP) — A European union high court has ruled against German sports apparel giant Adidas' claim that its famous three stripes, applied in any direction, deserve trade mark protection.

The EU's General Court ruled on Wednesday that the company could not prove that the stripes had a distinctive enough character throughout the 28-nation bloc.

Adidas said it is disappointed in the ruling and considering its next options.

Three years ago, the EU's Intellectual Property Office had struck down the registration of the mark on the grounds it was not distinctive enough throughout the bloc. The court backed the assessment.

Adidas insisted specific applications of the stripes were not affected by the ruling.