Could Drake's latest round of OVO merchandise earn the Canadian entertainer a lawsuit from Adidas over its similarity to the brand's iconic apparel? The OVO store tweeted the above top on Twitter on Friday, a piece of apparel that features two stripes running down the arm, a motif not unlike Adidas' ubiquitous three stripes. More detailed images of the top, and matching pants, appear on the OVO site here.
Twitter user @BIGNOAH256 was quick to note the similarity and suggest to Adidas exec Jon Wexler that a cease and desist was in order. While Wexler's quick response (seen below) is nowhere near a confirmation of legal action to come, there's a precedent for Adidas taking such action.
We gotta send the C&D asap @wex1200 😂😂 https://t.co/iWFaA40jA9
"It will be interesting to see and not entirely surprising if Adidas takes legal action," Julie Zerbo, a lawyer who runs The Fashion Law, tells Sole Collector. "The company has in the recent past filed trademark infringement actions against companies using two-stripe marks—including Marc Jacobs, Forever 21, Bally—because it deems the two-stripe mark to be confusing to consumers."
Zerbo has written extensively about Adidas' willingness to litigate over two-stripe sportswear.
No doubt partly contributing to Wexler's social media endorsement of a cease and desist is Drake's alignment with Adidas rival Nike. Drake signed with Nike's Jordan Brand in 2013.
