Golf legend Tiger Woods hit with legal headache on same day as TGL launch
Tiger Woods' premium apparel brand, Sun Day Red, is being sued by Puma over its use of a leaping tiger logo, according to a report by NBC San Diego.
Tiger Woods' premium apparel brand is facing its second lawsuit, according to a report.
NBC San Diego reported on 7 January that Puma has filed a last-minute 'notice of opposition' against the logos tied to Woods' Sun Day Red.
A filing was lodged last week, which you can read here.
The German footwear giant claims the SDR logo is too similar to the one they have been using since 1969.
The litigation stated: "Due to the confusing similarity of the marks and the identical, legally identical, or closely related nature of the goods and services of the parties, consumer confusion is likely between the Challenged Marks and the Leaping Cat logo."
The Sun Day Red logo features a leaping tiger that is made up of 15 strokes.
Each stroke signifies each of Woods' major championship victories over the course of his illustrious, hall of fame career.
This is the second notice of opposition launched against the brand since he ended 27-year partnership with Nike.
Tigeraire - a small company that sells cooling products to athletes - lodged a claim last September.
The case is ongoing in federal court.
News of the fresh litigation coincided with the launch of TGL.
A spokesperson for TaylorMade has told NBC San Diego that they feel 'very confident in our trademark and logos'.
Trademark attorney Josh Gerben reckons Puma have a legitimate case.
"This is a real fight," he said.
"Any time you have open litigation you can lose. I think Puma has a legitimate case."
"Tiger certainly has a target on his back," he said. "He's big enough to move markets."
Gerben suggested that the case could be settled before any trial.
What is Sun Day Red?
Sun Day Red is a premium active lifestyle brand co-founded by Tiger Woods and David Abeles, the CEO of TaylorMade.
The brand draws inspiration from Woods' tradition of wearing a red shirt during the final rounds of golf tournaments.
Woods created the brand after he ended his long-term association with Nike.
Why is it called Sun Day Red?
Woods is iconic for wearing red on Sundays, but why is the word 'Sunday' split into 'Sun Day?'
A few reasons have been given, with the Rule of Three being a key one.
Splitting the phrase Sunday Red into three short words carries more impact, according to Woods.
A news release from the brand previously explained why.
"The word mark appears as three words for a simple reason: there is a special power in three's.
"Calling it Sun Day Red was a fun way for us to create something completely different and unexpected.
"Born from a love for being outside in the sun, the joy of playing golf during the day, and a special red being the brand’s power colour – as soon as Sun Day Red was placed on a garment for the first time, it just looked perfect."
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