With less than a week to go until the start of the 2024 Summer Olympics, the U.S. Olympic Committee is moving to take care of some legal business at home first involving YouTuber Logan Paul.
According to NBC News, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee just filed a lawsuit against Prime Hydration, the energy drink brand co-founded by Paul. The suit claims that Prime used trademarked phrases like "Olympic," "Olympian," "Team U.S.A.," and "Going for gold" on its product packaging and online ads.
One campaign in particular that drew attention was the partnership Prime did with NBA star Kevin Durant. The drinks were reportedly being sold under the names “Team USA Kevin Durant Drink” and "Kevin Durant Olympic Prime Drink." Because the committee relies on licensing and trademark money to fund the U.S. Olympic Team, violations like these could lead to a massive loss of revenue by confusing the public.
The lawsuit came after the USOPC's legal team told Prime Hydration on July 10 to "cease infringement" and stop shipping the products in question and remove any social media posts advertising them.
"Prime Hydration’s conduct has been and continues to be willful, deliberate, and in bad faith, with malicious intent to trade on the goodwill of the USOPC and the [International Olympic Committee]," the suit said.
It's not the first time Prime has come under fire since it launched in 2022. Last year, the Food and Drug Administration was tapped to investigate the energy drinks due to their astronomical caffeine content and perceived youth-targeted advertising.
The 2024 Olympics kick off July 26 in Paris.
