An Argentine company has filed a federal trademark infringement lawsuit against the LIV Golf League and its Phil Mickelson-led HyFlyers GC team, accusing them of copying its 20-year-old logo for a popular ski and lifestyle brand.
In a federal lawsuit filed Thursday in US District Court in New Jersey, attorneys for Cool Brands Supply wrote that “Defendants’ adoption and use of their imitation logo nearly twenty years after Plaintiff began use and in the face of Plaintiff’s federal trademark registration is not merely Reckless and inexplicable – it’s willful infringement and unfair competition.”
Aside from Mickelson, the six-time main champion, the HyFlyers GC roster also includes James Peott, Brendan Steele and Cameron Triangle.
Cool Brands Supply said it has sold shoes and apparel with its registered logo since 2003. The company said LIV Golf uses a similar logo on its hats, T-shirts and jerseys. Mickelson wore the HyFlyers crest while finishing second at the Masters in April and while competing at the PGA Championship last month.
“The similarities between the two marks, especially when used on apparel, are striking, confuse consumers and cause harm to Plaintiff’s trademark and trademark,” attorneys for Cool Brands Supply wrote in the complaint. “The plaintiff previously demanded that the defendants stop using their offending logo, and they refused to do so.”
In the complaint, the attorneys noted that the HyFlyers did not use the nearly identical logo on their uniforms and merchandise during LIV Golf’s inaugural season in 2022. The “violation mark” was first displayed after the team’s rebranding in February.
Mickelson, who is competing in the US Open this week at Los Angeles Country Club, was not immediately available for comment.
Last week, the PGA Tour announced an amazing partnership with DP World and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, which funds the LIV Golf League. Mickelson was among 11 LIV Golf players who filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour, alleging it used its monopoly powers to crush competition.
Mickelson and the other players later dethroned themselves as defendants in the case. The new touring alliance has ended all legal actions against each other, according to a press release announcing the partnership.