The U.S. Olympic Committee has filed a lawsuit against Prime, the energy drink brand owned by Logan Paul, citing trademark infringement. The lawsuit alleges that Prime’s use of the word “olympic” in their marketing and branding is a violation of the U.S. Olympic Committee’s trademark. The committee is seeking to have Prime cease using the word “olympic” and pay damages for the infringement.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, which is responsible for managing the U.S. Olympic teams, recently filed a lawsuit in federal court against Prime, Logan Paul’s energy drink company. The committee alleges that Prime has violated its trademarks.
Attorneys for the Olympic Committee called the company’s acts, “willful, deliberate, and in bad faith.”
The committee’s lawsuit focuses on Prime’s use of symbols and phrases that have been trademarked by the committee for one of their drinks, which features Kevin Durant, a renowned Olympic gold medalist and NBA forward.
The company’s actions were deemed “willful, deliberate, and in bad faith” by the attorneys representing the Olympic Committee.
According to the complaint, Prime Hydration has utilized Olympic-related terminology and trademarks on their product packaging, internet advertising, and promotions showcasing a Prime Hydration flavor and athlete Kevin Durant.
In 2022, Prime was established by Paul and KSI, a renowned YouTube personality, boxer, and musician. The company specializes in the distribution of energy drinks containing caffeine, as well as sports drinks that are free of caffeine but contain electrolytes.
According to the complaint, Prime persisted in selling and promoting the beverage for an entire week even after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from the attorneys.
The complaint filed on Friday stated that even after multiple requests from USOPC, the Defendant failed to remove all the social media posts that were infringing their trademarks. The Defendant is currently involved in ongoing infringement of USOPC marks.
According to an online advertisement, the Kevin Durant Olympic Prime Drink is the perfect way to boost your hydration game.
According to the Olympic Committee, it has collaborated with certain brands in the past to increase sales and generate revenue for both the committee and U.S. national teams. However, the committee has clarified that it has no partnership or agreement with Prime.
According to the complaint, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has entered into an agreement with Coca-Cola, which grants the company exclusive rights to use Olympic trademarks, such as “Olympic” and “Team USA,” in the United States for beverages. As part of the agreement, Coca-Cola has made a considerable financial contribution and has extensively utilized the Olympic trademarks to promote and sell beverages in the US and in other countries.
According to the committee, the branding used by Prime has the potential to mislead customers into believing something that is not true. They believe that this branding has a high likelihood of causing confusion, mistakes, and deception among consumers regarding the origin and quality of goods and services. Furthermore, the committee is of the opinion that this branding could also lead customers to believe that the drink is backed by the USOPC.
On Saturday, there was no immediate response from Prime’s representatives when asked to comment.
In July of 2023, Senator Chuck Schumer, who is the Majority Leader of the Senate, requested that the FDA look into Prime. He also cautioned parents about the beverage and the substantial quantity of caffeine it has. The next month, a law firm in California filed a lawsuit against the company after Paul claimed that the drinks contained per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.
From July 26 to Aug. 11, Paris will be hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics.
