Adidas, the German sportswear manufacturer, is suing the tennis Grand Slams and the sport’s governing body in a dispute over their three-stripes trademark, the Wimbledon organisers said on Tuesday.
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTCC) said it would vigorously defend the action, which is set to go to court in May. Papers were served against the club last week, chief executive Ian Ritchie said.
The Grand Slam committee, which brings together Wimbledon and the Australian, French and US Opens, believes the stripes are not simply a design effect and should therefore conform to the manufacturer’s identification size restriction on player clothing — 26 square centimetres.
”Adidas has now seen fit to sue the club, the other Grand Slam tournaments and the International Tennis Federation [ITF],” the AELTCC said.
The club said Adidas were seeking an injunction to prevent the implementation of the rule at Wimbledon and claiming for alleged damages incurred as a consequence of the rule.
The row is coming to a head as the sportswear giant’s time to comply with the Grand Slam committee’s decision runs out just before Wimbledon starts on June 26.
”We believe that the Adidas legal case is totally without foundation and The Championships, the club, the Grand Slams and the ITF will vigorously defend the actions,” the AELTCC said.
”We believe it absolutely right to restrict advertising on players’ clothing and to maintain a tasteful and professional dress code which does not turn players into walking advertising hoardings.”
Ritchie said the AELTCC was ”very disappointed and saddened” by Adidas’s decision.
He said that Adidas were told in May 2005 that the Grand Slam committee considered the three stripes trademark to be a manufacturer’s identification. They were given a grace period until Wimbledon 2006 to comply by adapting their players’ sportswear.
In January 2006, the committee decided to increase the permitted size to 26 square centimetres in time for the French Open which starts on May 28, he added.
Ritchie said: ”The good news about having a legal hearing is that there should be a clear decision as to whether an injunction is granted or not.
”If an injunction is not granted, which we’re confident it won’t be, then obviously as far as The Championships are concerned, that should be the end of the matter and everybody will have to comply with the legal finding in effect.
”So at least it clears the air.”
Asked if there was a possibility that Adidas-signed players could withdraw from Wimbledon, he replied ”I would certainly hope not,” adding: ”They’ve been put in a difficult position in terms of this.” — AFP
