U.S. Olympic Committee Sues Puma Over Trademark Violations

Puma SE and Puma North America Inc. were hit with a suit in the District of Colorado by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee alleging unauthorized use of its Tokyo 2020, Beijing 2022 and Paris 2024 trademarks.

The USOPC alleges Puma “has declared war on games marks"—the trademarks that combine the name of a host city with the year when the Olympic games took or will take place in that city, according to the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.

Puma has tried to register games marks for itself, and petitioned to cancel games marks registrations held by the USOPC, “in a thinly veiled attempt to benefit from association with the Olympics” without becoming a sponsor, the complaint alleges.

Congress granted the USOPC exclusivity over the Olympic brand in order to generate revenue to finance U.S. involvement in the Olympic Games, the USOPC says.

The USOPC raises the money it needs to operate in large part by licensing use of its intellectual property to sponsors and licensees, the complaint alleges.

The license fees “pay to house, feed, train, and otherwise support U.S. Olympic athletes, and finance this country’s participation in the Olympic Games,” the USOPC says.

Causes of Action: The Lanham Act, the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, Colorado Consumer Protection Act, trademark infringement and unfair competition under Colorado common law.

Relief: Declaratory and injunctive relief, damages, attorneys’ fees and costs.

Response: Puma didn’t immediately respond to request for comment.

Attorneys: Merchant & Gould PC represents the USOPC.

The case is U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Comm. v. PUMA SE, D. Colo., No. 21-cv-00528, 2/23/21.