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Law

USOPC Sues Logan Paul’s Drink Company Ahead of Olympics

  • The USOPC says Prime infringed upon its trademarks.
  • The company has previously drawn legal scrutiny for health reasons.
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Logan Paul is going from the ring into court. 

The YouTube star turned pro wrestler and boxer’s energy drink, Prime Hydration, is being sued by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee for trademark infringement, with the Paris Olympics set to start later this week. 

In a federal lawsuit filed Friday, the committee alleges Prime Hydration used trademarked phrases such as “OLYMPIC,” “OLYMPIAN,” “TEAM USA,” and “GOING FOR GOLD” on its products and in its advertising.

According to the suit, the committee had repeatedly asked Paul’s company to remove marketing for a drink made in partnership with NBA star Kevin Durant, which used phrases like “Team USA Kevin Durant drink” and “Kevin Durant Olympic Prime Drink.”

Social media posts and marketing for the beverage appear to have been removed from the company’s site and pages as of Monday.

“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,” the lawsuit said.

The committee is responsible for promoting Team USA athletes through training and funding and said in the lawsuit that licensing its trademarks is a core part of its business to fund the Olympic team. 

According to the suit, the USOPC originally contacted Prime Hydration July 10 for the company to “cease infringement,” yet the company continued to sell and market the product until the lawsuit was filed. 

It’s not the first time Prime has come under scrutiny. In July 2023, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer asked the Food and Drug Administration to investigate the company as energy drinks came under scrutiny for their popularity among children despite being marketed to adults. 

Prime Hydration, the drink at the center of the USOPC lawsuit, doesn’t contain caffeine, but Prime Energy has 200 milligrams of caffeine in a 12-ounce can, which is equivalent to a six-pack of Coke. 

That same summer, the company faced a class-action lawsuit alleging a since-discontinued flavor of Prime Hydration contained perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl, substances known as “forever chemicals,” which pose long-term health risks for their ability to stay in the body and environment. Similar lawsuits have continued into this calendar year. 

The lawsuit seeks all profits from the allegedly infringed drink—which the committee says are in the millions of dollars—in addition to compensation for the alleged harm caused by violating the USOPC’s sponsorship agreements. 

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