USA's Tiger Woods hits the ball on day two of the Open Championship at Royal Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Photo date: Friday, July 19, 2024.
Jane Barlow | Photos of the Palestinian Authority | Getty Images
A logo dispute between Tiger Woods' apparel company Sun Day Red and Tigeraire, a company that makes cooling products for athletes, is now in the hands of the federal court system.
Last week, Tigeraire filed a notice of opposition with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office against Sun Day Red's Tiger logo, saying the golf legend's company “unlawfully hijacked” the Tigeraire design and turned it into its own brand.
In a subsequent lawsuit, Woods' legal team sued Tigeraire, accusing the company of trying to capitalize on Sun Day Red's position as a larger brand. Sun Day Red filed a motion to dismiss the patent claim.
“This case represents, unfortunately, the outdated circumstance of an opportunistic and misguided company trying to extract unjustified financial gain from a larger, more successful brand, based on threats of legal action and demands for exorbitant sums,” the suit says.
Applicant's marks and registered mark.
US Patent and Trademark Office
According to the lawsuit, which was filed last week in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Sun Day Red says it attempted in good faith to resolve the infringement claims through negotiation and that Tigeraire sent “outrageous financial demands” to TaylorMade-owned Sun Day Red.
The suit also says Tigeraire recently began attending golf tournaments and changed the home page of its website to more prominently feature golfers in an effort to show market overlap.
A representative for Woods and TaylorMade declined to comment on the matter.
Tigeraire says its logo and name pay tribute to the company's collaboration with Louisiana State University. The company, founded in Baton Rouge, partnered with the university's football team in 2020 to help provide relief to players.
In a statement issued Tuesday, more than a week after the Sun Day Red lawsuit was filed, Tigeraire said the trademark and logo are personal.
“For a foreign private equity firm to sue us to enforce this right and then claim we are seeking a payday is an insult to everyone at our small company who works to deliver high-quality products that improve the lives of our customers,” Tigerer said. CEO Jack Karavec said in the statement.
Hats and club cap details during the launch of Tiger Woods and TaylorMade Golf's new apparel and footwear brand “Sun Day Red” at Palisades Village on February 12, 2024 in Pacific Palisades, California.
Kevork Djansizian | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images
Trademark attorney Josh Gerbin called the lawsuit an “aggressive response” to the trademark dispute.
Taking the case to federal court makes it too expensive for a smaller company like Tigeraire, he noted.
“A lot of times, these cases favor the party that has the resources to litigate, and that can be a challenge,” Gerben said.
Sun Day Red was launched in May after Woods ended his 27-year partnership with Nike.
Woods previously said the brand name pays tribute to the fact that Woods always wears red on Sundays, and the logo is a tribute to the 15 major championships he won during his career.
