The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee is suing the maker of popular Prime sports drinks for using trademarked references to the Olympics without permission.
The U.S. Olympic group filed the lawsuit July 19, just a week ahead of the opening of the 2024 Olympics in Paris. They claim Prime Hydration used trademarked phrases such as “Olympic,” “Olympian,” “Team USA” and “Going for Gold” on its product packaging and in advertisements.
Prime Hydration was created in 2022 by Logan Paul and Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji, professionally known as KSI, both professional wrestlers and social media influencers. According to its website, Prime has three products: Prime Hydration, Prime Hydration+ stick packs and Prime Energy, the last with 200mg of caffeine. They’ve been runaway successes.
“Prime Hydration’s conduct has been and continues to be willful, deliberate, and in bad faith, with malicious intent to trade on the goodwill of the USOPC and the IOC,” said the lawsuit, cited by NBC News. Prime has caused “damage and irreparable injury” to the USOPC.
The committee, which is responsible for supporting Team USA athletes through training and funding, stated in the lawsuit it relies on licensing its trademarks to fund the U.S. Olympic Team, as it doesn’t receive financial assistance from the federal government.
