LIV Golf in hot water again, faces lawsuit from Adidas over logo trademark issue
Adidas has filed a lawsuit against LIV Golf because of its logo, which Adidas sees as similar to its own.
LIV Golf is facing another lawsuit, and it is not from the PGA Tour nor a subpoena from Congress.
Instead, Adidas has sued LIV Golf because of its logo.
According to a Front Office Sports report, Adidas filed a Notice of Opposition with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), which is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The German apparel company filed this suit on Sept. 18.
Adidas feels that LIV Golf’s logo “incorporates three stripes in a manner that is confusingly similar to the Adidas Marks in appearance and overall commercial impression.”
According to the USPTO website, LIV Golf has until Oct. 28, 2023, to respond to the motion.
Yet, Josh Gerben, a trademark attorney, noted that Adidas faces an uphill battle.
“In my opinion, Adidas is unlikely to win this case,” Gerben posted on X, the website formerly known as Twitter.
“The most likely outcome is a settlement agreement in which LIV Golf agrees to some limitations on how its ‘L’ logo might appear on products, thus limiting the chances it would look like Adidas’ stripes.”
In addition to facilitating 54-hole tournaments, LIV Golf hosts thousands of fans at each event while creating a ‘party-like’ atmosphere on some holes. The circuit also sells plenty of wardrobe and memorabilia, many of which include the ‘L’ logo featured within the suit.
But whether LIV Golf will continue beyond 2024 remains to be seen, thanks to the pending deal between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF)—the beneficiary of LIV.
Still, LIV Golf executives are planning on a full 2024 schedule, which will include events all over the world.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.