Art Basel Is Reportedly Suing adidas for Trademark Infringement

Having handed out approximately 1,000 pairs of its limited edition “Art Basel” EQT ADV 91-16 on the streets of Miami at last year’s edition of the festival, adidas is now facing the repercussions of its generosity. According to The Fashion Law, adidas “has been slapped with a trademark lawsuit courtesy of Art Basel,” for “willful [sic] distribution of at least 1,000 pairs of sneakers bearing an unauthorized reproduction of Plaintiffs’ registered and incontestable ART BASEL® trademark.” With the German brand having distributed models in reflective clothing across the South Beach area to gift the sneakers to lucky passers by, the legal dispute stems from adidas’s apparent failure to acquire permission from the renowned contemporary art festival before using its name on their product.

In addition to the fact that adidas has its own previous experience filing trademark lawsuits against competitors, Art Basel reportedly alleges in its complaint that, in light of its own multiple collaborations, the brand with the three stripes “knew or should have known” better.