Jack Nicklaus Settles Trademark Infringement Lawsuit with Maker of Golf Training Technology

Golf legend Jack Nicklaus settled his trademark infringement lawsuit against PowerPro Sports LLC on February 20, 2020. As we previously reported, Nicklaus Companies LLC, Nicklaus’ corporate vehicle, sued PowerPro, makers of the Powerchute golf training technology, alleging that the company unlawfully used his likeness and trademarks without permission to promote their training product.

According to the lawsuit, Nicklaus made an agreement with PowerPro and allowed the company to use videos and photographs of himself to promote their product; however, Nicklaus described the agreement as …

January 29, 2020 Advertising / Celebrities / Golf / Intellectual Property / Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Trademark / Litigation / PGA / Sponsorships / Trademark

Fore! Jack Nicklaus Sues Maker of Golf Training Technology for Trademark Infringement

Golf legend Jack Nicklaus has sued PowerPro Sports LLC, alleging that they are unlawfully using his likeness and trademarks without his permission to promote a product.

Nicklaus Companies LLC, Jack Nicklaus’ corporate vehicle, has sued PowerPro in Florida federal court. PowerPro makes the Powerchute golf training technology, which the company claims improves golf swing through the use of aerodynamic drag. Nicklaus argues that PowerPro violated his right of publicity under Florida law, as well as violated the federal Lanham Act by engaging in false endorsement, …

November 4, 2019 Basketball / Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Trademark / Litigation / NBA / Trademark

Adidas and Brooklyn Nets Settle Trademark Lawsuit Over Milkcrate Logo

Adidas and the Brooklyn Nets have agreed to settle a trademark infringement lawsuit filed by Milkcrate Athletics Inc. over the use of its logo.

On October 28, 2019, Milkcrate asked a New York federal court to dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice, noting that a settlement had been reached. No details of this settlement have been revealed.

The lawsuit stemmed from an attempted collaboration between Adidas and Milkcrate. Between 2011 and 2017, Milkcrate owner Aaron “LaCrate” LaCanfora exchanged emails with Adidas seeking to collaborate on a …

November 30, 2018 Baseball / Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Trademark / MLB

Trademark Showdown at Home Plate: Atlanta Braves at Bat against Local Taxi Company

On November 1, 2018, the Atlanta Braves commenced an action in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia against a local Marietta taxi company and its owner for trademark infringement. The complaint filed by the Atlanta Braves asserts Federal and State causes of action against Braves Taxi sounding in Trademark Infringement, Trademark Dilution, Unfair Competition, and Cyberpiracy. In short, the Atlanta Braves claim that Braves Taxi is using identical and confusingly similar marks to those of the MLB team on its vehicles.…

July 24, 2018 Contract / Fantasy Sports / Gambling / Intellectual Property / Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Trademark / Litigation / Trademark

CBS Interactive Inc. Sued for Trademark Infringement

On July 13, 2018, Fulltime Fantasy Sports, LLC (Fulltime) sued CBS Interactive Inc. (CBSi) for trademark infringement, false advertising, breach of contract, conversion, unlawful and deceptive practices, and unfair competition. According to the complaint, “[a]s fantasy football season approaches, Fulltime has been forced to file this action to seek relief from the Court’s so that CBSi will stop misappropriating Fulltime’s intellectual property and good will, stop confusing consumers, and pay Fulltime what it is owed.”

Fulltime, founded in 2011, “provided premier fantasy sports content, …

May 30, 2018 Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Trademark

College Student/Start-Up Business Owner Sues New Era Cap Co. for Trademark Infringement

On May 22, 2018, God’s Era, a small start-up casual apparel company in Massachusetts, filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against New Era Cap Co. According to the complaint, New Era Cap Co. willfully engaged in trademark infringement, unfairly competed, injured God’s Era business reputation, and New Era Cap Co. used false and deceptive business practices.

God’s Era is a small apparel company that was “wholly self-funded by its owner, Averil Hilton, who is currently a full-time college student and working full-time at another job …

September 2, 2017 Baseball / Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Trademark

A Fight Over Baseball Hall-of-Famer Honus Wagner’s Trademarks

Florida-based Honus Wagner Co. filed a complaint on July 5, 2017 in Florida federal court against an Indiana licensing management company for trademark infringement. Honus Wagner, considered by some to be the greatest shortstop ever, played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1936 as one of its original five members. In the beginning of the Twentieth Century, no player was more dominant than Wagner. He led the majors in hits, runs, doubles, total bases, extra-base hits, runs …

Rapper Permanently Prohibited from Using “Rolls-Royce”

On Friday, March 11, 2016 Rolls-Royce won its infringement suit against rapper Royce Rizzy, formerly known as Rolls Royce Rizzy.

A New Jersey federal judge ordered the rapper to permanently stop using the Rolls-Royce name and mark. The court found that rapper used the automaker’s name and mark to promote his music career and to benefit from the high-end image of Rolls-Royce. The court’s decision was made after the rapper failed to defend himself in court and joked about the lawsuit on social media.

Rolls-Royce …

March 31, 2015 Copyright / Intellectual Property / Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Trademark / Litigation / Music / Trademark / TV

Rise and Fall of an Empire (Distribution, Inc.)

In the pilot episode of Fox’s smash-hit series Empire, Cookie Lyon, explaining why, after her release from jail, she’s returning to her husband Lucious Lyon’s fictional record label, Empire Entertainment, says simply: “I’m here to get what’s mine.” This is, of course, in reference to the formerly-jailed matriarch having taken the rap for Lucious to the tune of 17 years behind bars for drug-running while he built his music “empire.” Coincidentally, it also may sum up the thinking over the last couple of months …

February 26, 2015 NFL / Trademark

Lawyers for Redskins Put Different Spin on Trademark Case

The Redskins filed a motion to overturn the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board’s decision to cancel the team’s trademark because it infringes on freedom of speech rights and “unfairly singles the team out.”

The lawyers for the team argued that the cancellation decision “unfairly singles out the Redskins for disfavored treatment based solely on the content of its protected speech, interfering with the ongoing public discourse over the Redskins’ name by choosing sides and cutting off the debate. This the U.S. Constitution does not tolerate.”…