Phil Mickelson’s LIV Golf team sued

A federal trademark infringement lawsuit has been filed against the LIV Golf League and Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers GC team.

Argentine skateboarding and lifestyle brand, Cool Brands Supply, accused the ‘defendants’ of copying its 20-year-old logo.

The corporation’s lawyers claimed the ‘adoption and use’ of a knockoff logo “is not just reckless and inexplicable – it is wilful infringement and unfair competition.”

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Six-time major champion Phil Mickelson is the team’s captain but has not commented immediately on the case.

The 52-year-old, who is competing in this week’s US Open at Los Angeles Country Club, has James Piot, Brendan Steele, and Cameron Tringale on his breakaway team’s roster.

The federal lawsuit was filed on Thursday in U.S. District Court in New Jersey, while the company says it has sold footwear and apparel carrying the trademarked logo since 2003.

Cool Brands Supply also claimed that LIV Golf uses a similar logo on a range of apparel, but the HyFlyers team didn’t use the replicated logo during LIV Golf’s inaugural season in 2022.

According to lawyers of the popular corporation, it was insisted that the defendants stopped using the logo, but they ‘refused’.

In the complaint, they wrote: “Plaintiff previously demanded that Defendants cease use of their infringing logo, and they refused.

“The similarities between the two marks, particularly when used on clothing, are striking, and are confusing consumers and causing damage to Plaintiff’s senior mark and brand.”

On the LIV Golf website for the full-American team, HyFlyers GC claim: “Blazing the trail is what it’s all about.”

But the “infringing mark” was first seen on HyFlyers hats, shirts, and sweatshirts after the team rebranded in February this year.

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It’s not the first lawsuit Mickelson has been involved in recently, though.

The PGA Tour announced a shock partnership with the DP World Tour and the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund last week.

Mickelson was one of 11 LIV golfers who filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour, but
alongside others, later removed himself as a defendant in the case.

The new allegiance between the once bitter rivals ended all legal action against each other.

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.