Art Basel and its Swiss parent company, MCH group, have settled their legal case against Adidas over the limited edition trainers that the German sportswear giant designed using the art fair’s trademark. The shoes were distributed for free during Art Basel Miami Beach last year.
In a statement, Adidas acknowledges that it “did not obtain a license to use the Art Basel mark for these shoes, and Adidas was not a partner with, or a sponsor of, the Art Basel show”. The clothing company adds: “Adidas regrets these actions and is pleased that the lawsuit filed by Art Basel has been settled amicably.”
The terms of the settlement are not being made public, but Art Basel had sought damages and the destruction of the “offending” shoes, which were later available on eBay with a starting price of around $249. Around 1,000 pairs of the customised EQT trainers were made, featuring the words Art Basel on the tongue.
A spokesman for Art Basel says the fair is “satisfied with this settlement as it demonstrates its successful endeavour to actively protect its brand against trademark infringements”.
