ABSTRACT
Case Summary In April 2006, sportswear company Adidas issued a claim in the English High Court against the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments: Wimbledon, the French, the Australian and the United States Opens. The claim alleged infringements of European competition law resulting from a ruling by the Grand Slam Committee (GSC – a representative body consisting of the four grand slams and the ITF) that Adidas’ Three-Stripe design was to be considered a manufacturer’s identification for the purpose of the GSC’s rules and was therefore subject to size restrictions imposed by these rules. This case study therefore sets out to examine some of the issues underpinning the legal case, and traces its development from instigation to resolution.
