Adidas accused of unsporting practice

Three of the world’s largest sportswear manufacturers are demanding that Adidas-Salomon be ordered to change its three-stripe designs on uniforms used in future Olympic Games, including the forthcoming Winter Games in Turin.

On Adidas uniforms, the three stripes run down the arm and down the trouser leg. The company’s uniforms also have a smaller pyramid, or trefoil, logo which is similar in size to those on uniforms made by Nike, Reebok and Puma.

In a letter to the International Olympic Committee, those three manufacturers argue the Adidas design is a breach of the IOC’s marketing code, which allows sporting wear manufacturers to display logos that are a maximum 3.2 square inches.