In 2009, Belgium-based company Shoe Branding Europe, filed an application to register as a trademark the two forward slashes on the side of its shoes.

Although there only two stripes, the European Court of Justice ruled that the Shoe Branding Europe‘s design was too similar to the adidas stripes. The decision was now published with the court finding the "differences between two and three stripes and the length of the stripes" only "minor", and as such "would not influence the overall impression" produced on the side of the shoe.

The court found that adidas can trademark registration of parallel stripes on the side of sports shoes produced by other brands.