“The Olympic Committee is notoriously active in policing the use of their trademarks. They cannot forbid companies for mentioning the Olympics or accurately describing someone as an Olympic athlete. But problems arise when companies use their trademarks in a way that suggests a formal sponsorship or approval by the Olympic Committee. Companies should tread lightly when referencing the Olympic marks in advertising and should avoid altogether using ‘Olympic’ in a product name.”
-Paul Coble, chair of Rose Law Group’s AI, intellectual property, and technology law department
By Max Hauptman | USA TODAY
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee is suing an energy drink brand affiliated with a pair of YouTube stars, accusing the company of trademark infringement.
In a lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Court of Colorado on Friday, the Olympic Committee alleges YouTube stars’ Logan Paul and KSI’s energy drink company PRIME, has been using trademarked symbols and phrases as part of a recent promotion featuring NBA star and 2024 U.S.A. men’s basketball team member Kevin Durant.
The lawsuit describes Prime Hydration’s marketing campaign as “willful, deliberate, and in bad faith,” in its use of trademarked phrases and symbols associated with the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
