The legal turmoil between the Haas F1 Team and its former team principal Guenther Steiner has now turned into a bitter feud between the two parties.
Just two weeks after Steiner sued Haas in North Carolina for alleged unpaid commissions, Haas Automation, the parent company and sponsor of the F1 team, has filed a countersuit in California.
The legal action targets Steiner's autobiography, ‘Surviving to Drive’, alleging trademark infringements.
According to court documents filed in the Central District of California, Haas contends that Steiner and his publisher, Ten Speed Press, used team logos and other protected imagery without permission.
Haas Automation, which has requested a jury trial, laid out its grievances in papers filed with the Court.
“In 2023, without permission or consent from Haas Automation, Steiner authored, marketed, promoted, sold, distributed, and profited from a publication titled “Surviving to Drive” (the “Accused Product”), which unlawfully used and displayed, and continues to use and display, the Haas Automation Trademarks and the Haas Automation Trade Dress for Steiner’s personal financial gain and illicit profit.
“Haas Automation never consented to Steiner’s use of the Haas Automation Trademarks or the Haas Automation Trade Dress on the Accused Product.
“Haas Automation gave pre-lawsuit notice to Steiner but to date Steiner has taken no action to cease or mitigate his infringing acts, necessitating the instant lawsuit,” the company states.
“Steiner sells and promotes the Accused Product in various mediums, including without limitation print and digital, in violation of Haas Automation’s exclusive intellectual property rights.
“Information available online indicates that as of January 2024, the Accused Product has exceeded sales of at least 150,000 units and generated revenue of at least $4,500,000.”
Central to the case will likely be the concept of "fair use." This legal doctrine allows limited use of copyrighted or trademarked material for purposes like commentary, criticism, or news reporting, even without permission.
Steiner and Ten Speed Press will likely argue their use of the images falls under fair use, perhaps claiming they're necessary to tell Steiner's story about his time leading the Haas F1 team.
The outcome will hinge on whether the court finds the use is "transformative" - adding new meaning or context - or simply exploits the Haas brand for commercial gain.
Regardless of the outcome, the lawsuit adds another layer to the drama surrounding Steiner's departure from Haas at the end of 2023.
Having been a key figure since the team's inception in 2016, his fiery personality and leadership style gained him a cult following, particularly through his appearances on Netflix's Drive to Survive series.
Whether his book’s use of team imagery constitutes fair use or trademark infringement remains to be seen, but one thing's for sure: the fight between Haas and Steiner is far from over.
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