Adidas Opposes ELEAGUE’s Trademark Application over Logo Similarity
Sportswear brand Adidas has taken legal action against Turner Sports’ esports venture ELEAGUE by opposing its trademark application.
ELEAGUE has become a prominent broadcaster in esports, with its upcoming Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major event in January gaining attention. However, Adidas has raised concerns about ELEAGUE’s logo, which consists of three lines, stating that it closely resembles Adidas’ classic three lines logo, which has been trademarked for almost 50 years.
Turner Sports first submitted the trademark application in June 2016, but Adidas waited until October 2020 to file its opposition.
The opposition is based on two claims – confusion and dilution. Adidas argues that the similarity between the logos, their use of three broken lines, and the overlap of goods and services could create the impression that events are sponsored or endorsed by Adidas. Additionally, Adidas believes that the similarity between the logos could weaken the strength of its own brand.
Adidas has a history of protecting its brand through legal means, having previously gone to court with Polo Ralph Lauren, Abercrombie and Fitch, and Kmart over its three stripe logo. The Overwatch League also faced a potential trademark battle with Major League Baseball earlier this year, but the MLB chose not to oppose the logo.
Adidas, ELEAGUE, trademark application, logo similarity, opposition, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major, three lines, confusion, dilution, brand protection