USA’s Tiger Woods strains up a putt on the 2nd throughout day two of The Open at Royal Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Image date: Friday July 19, 2024.
Jane Barlow | PA Pictures | Getty Pictures
A brand dispute between Tiger Woods’ attire firm Solar Day Crimson and Tigeraire, an organization that makes cooling merchandise for athletes, is now within the palms of the federal courtroom system.
Final week, Tigeraire filed a discover of opposition with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Workplace in opposition to Solar Day Crimson’s Tiger brand, saying the golf legend’s firm “unlawfully hijacked” Tigeraire’s design into its personal branding.
In a subsequent courtroom submitting, Woods’ authorized workforce sued Tigeraire, accusing the corporate of attempting to capitalize off Solar Day Crimson’s standing as a much bigger model. Solar Day Crimson has filed a movement to dismiss the patent declare.
“This case, sadly, presents the time-worn circumstance of an opportunistic, misguided enterprise making an attempt to extract an unwarranted monetary windfall from a bigger and extra profitable model, based mostly on threats of authorized motion and calls for for exorbitant sums,” the go well with says.
Applicant’s Marks and the Registered Mark.
U.S. Patent and Trademark Workplace
In response to the lawsuit, which was filed final week in U.S. District Courtroom for the Central District of California, Solar Day Crimson says it has tried in good religion to resolve the infringement claims although negotiation and that Tigeraire has despatched “outrageous financial calls for” to Solar Day Crimson, which is owned by TaylorMade.
The go well with additionally says Tigeraire not too long ago began attending golf tournaments and adjusted its web site’s homepage to prominently function golfers in an try and exhibit market overlap.
A consultant for Woods and TaylorMade declined to touch upon the matter.
Tigeraire says its brand and title pays tribute to the corporate’s collaboration with Louisiana State College. The corporate, based in Baton Rouge, partnered with the college’s soccer workforce in 2020 to assist present cooling aid for its gamers.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, greater than every week after the Solar Day Crimson lawsuit was filed, Tigeraire stated the model and brand are private.
“To have a international, non-public fairness agency sue us for implementing this proper after which declare we’re simply after a payday is insulting to each single individual at our small firm working to ship high quality merchandise that enhance the lives of our prospects,” stated Tigeraire CEO Jack Karavich within the assertion.
A element of hats and a membership cowl throughout the launch of Tiger Woods and TaylorMade Golf’s new attire and footwear model “Solar Day Crimson” at Palisades Village on February 12, 2024 in Pacific Palisades, California.
Kevork Djansezian | Getty Pictures Sport | Getty Pictures
Trademark legal professional Josh Gerben referred to as the lawsuit an “aggressive response” to the trademark dispute.
He famous bringing a case to federal courtroom makes the matter a lot for costly for a smaller firm like Tigeraire.
“Numerous time these circumstances favor the social gathering with the sources to litigate, and that may make it a problem,” Gerben stated.
Solar Day Crimson was launched in Might after Woods ended his 27-year partnership with Nike.
The model’s title pays homage to the truth that Woods at all times wears pink on Sundays, and the brand is a tribute to the 15 majors he is received over the course of his profession, Woods stated beforehand.
