MrBeast Urges Court to Ax Russel Brands’ ‘Beast’ Trademark Suit

Social media celebrity MrBeast again asked a federal judge to toss a lawsuit accusing his basketballs and footballs of infringing sporting goods company Russell Brands LLC’s “The Beast” trademark, saying it’s an attempt to take advantage of his “widespread success.”

Russell, owner of the Spalding sports equipment brand, failed to demonstrate its “the beast” trademark for basketball hoops extends to balls or prove a likelihood of consumer confusion, according to Beast Holdings LLC’s March 6 motion to dismiss. Those amount to “fatal” blunders, it told the US District Court for the Western District of Kentucky.

Russell’s allegations are “baseless and implausible” because MrBeast doesn’t sell basketball hoops, the motion said, and ignore evidence that the court doesn’t have jurisdiction.

Russell sued Beast Holdings last August accusing its balls of using a “Beast” mark “virtually identical” to the one Spalding has used since 2002. The manufacturer said it developed common law rights to the mark in connection with basketballs, too, which it has sold bearing the “Beast” name since at least 2012.

GameChanger247 LLC and MrBeastYouTube LLC, both affiliated with James Stephen “Jimmy” Donaldson, known as MrBeast, are also named as defendants.

The defendants first moved to dismiss the case in February, but the bid was mooted when Russell filed an amended complaint two weeks later. The updated complaint asks the court to instruct the US Patent and Trademark Office to reject five trademark applications Beast Holdings filed after the lawsuit began, including those for basketballs and footballs.

Beast Holdings argues Russell’s changes make no difference because it doesn’t address that the court lacks jurisdiction, pointing out that the defendants are North Carolina companies with no physical presence, employees, offices, or assets in Kentucky.

Thompson Hine LLP represents Russell. Akerman LLP represents the defendants.

The case is Russell Brands LLC v. Beast Holdings LLC, W.D. Ky., No. 25-cv-00107, motion filed 3/6/26.