The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has initiated legal action against the beverage label PRIME, owned by Logan Paul, The New York Times reports.
The committee alleges that PRIME has infringed on trademarks related to the Olympics and Team USA in promoting a sports drink featuring Kevin Durant. PRIME Hydration has allegedly used these trademarks without permission, despite Coca-Cola holding the exclusive rights to use Olympic trademarks on its beverages in the U.S.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado on July 19, accuses PRIME Hydration of “willful” and “blatant” trademark infringement.
The U.S. Olympic Committee is seeking to recover all the profits earned from the allegedly infringing products and “millions of dollars” in punitive damages. The lawsuit points to packaging, online advertisements, and promotional materials for the drink, all featuring Durant alongside the words Olympic, Olympian, Team USA, and Gold for Gold, all trademarks owned by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.
An Olympic Committee lawyer contacted PRIME Hydration on July 10, alleging that the company cease using the trademarks. However, the lawsuit states that the company continued distributing the drink to stores and featured it on LinkedIn after receiving the warning.
PRIME Hydration, co-founded by Logan Paul and YouTuber KSI in 2022, has previously faced criticism from lawmakers and medical professionals for its PRIME Energy drink due to its high caffeine content, deemed harmful to children.