Tiger Woods’ New Sun Day Red Logo Faces Trademark Challenge
Tiger Woods’ newly launched logo for his Sun Day Red golf apparel line is now entangled in a trademark dispute. Tigeraire, a company known for its cooling products for athletes, has filed a notice of opposition with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, accusing Woods and Sun Day Red of “unlawfully hijacking” their design.
In the filing, Tigeraire asserts, “The actions of SDR, TaylorMade, and Tiger Woods blatantly ignore Tigeraire’s long-standing protected mark, brand, and identity. They violate federal and state intellectual property law and create consumer confusion. SDR’s application should be denied.”
TaylorMade Golf, the company backing Sun Day Red, is standing firm, stating to CNBC, “We have full confidence in the securitization of our trademarks.”
Launched in May, Sun Day Red marks Woods’ venture into the golf apparel space following his 27-year partnership with Nike. The brand’s name reflects Woods’ tradition of wearing red on Sundays during tournaments, and the logo is a tribute to the 15 major championships he’s won.
“Sun Day Red continues to penetrate the North American marketplace,” said David Abeles, CEO of TaylorMade. “Our products have been extremely well received.”
A spokesperson for Woods declined to comment on the dispute, but Woods and his team have 40 days to respond to the notice.
Trademark attorney Josh Gerben explained to CNBC that the opposition proceeding will temporarily halt Woods’ application for the logo trademark but is unlikely to impact the ongoing production of the apparel line. Gerben noted, “They now likely give themselves an opportunity to negotiate with Tiger and TaylorMade to see if there’s a resolution that might be had.”
He also predicted that the case will likely settle before reaching trial. “By filing this opposition, Tigeraire essentially secures a seat at the table to negotiate. For Tiger and TaylorMade to get this trademark registered, they’ll need to win this case,” Gerben added.