Damage to the Puma trademark
The sportswear company argues that Woods’ tiger logo infringes on its globally recognized Puma emblem. Puma contends that there is a risk of consumer confusion and that introducing a second predatory cat into the sports apparel market undermines the strength of the Puma brand. Woods intends to use his tiger logo on clothing and golf-related products.
Better preliminary research?
It’s unfortunate to see all this legal posturing surrounding Tiger Woods’ promising new brand. However, it seems Woods may not have conducted adequate legal trademark research beforehand. A quick check of conflicts around the Puma logo in both the EU and U.S. shows that Puma targets virtually any brand featuring a running or jumping predator. Adding a tiger to the mix was bound to provoke a reaction from the puma.
The cup of trouble isn’t empty yet
Unfortunately, Woods’ troubles don’t end there. The golfer recently introduced a new golf competition called Tomorrow’s Golf League (TGL), where teams from six American cities compete against each other. On the evening of the launch, TGL received notice that the company LA Golf Partners had filed an objection to the name of one of the six teams: the LA Golf Club. LA Golf Partners, which sells golf equipment, fears that the team name LA Golf Club could cause confusion with its own name, LA Golf Partners.
Bas Kist
Photo by Christian Jaya on Unsplash
