Phil Mickelson, LIV Golf Sued By Skateboard Apparel Company For Allegedly Copying Logo

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Phil Mickelson and LIV Golf have been hit with a federal trademark infringement lawsuit, accused of copying a logo of a skateboarding and lifestyle brand.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court on Thursday, comes from attorneys representing Cool Brand Supply. Cool Brand says it has sold footwear and apparel with a trademarked logo since 2003 that is very similar to the HyFlyers GC logo. Mickelson captains the HyFlyers team.

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"Defendants' adoption and use of their knockoff logo nearly twenty years after Plaintiff commenced use and in the face of Plaintiff's federal trademark registration is not just reckless and inexplicable -- it is willful infringement and unfair competition," attorneys for Cool Brand wrote.

Mickelson not only has worn HyFlyer apparel during LIV Golf events, but also sported the logo at both the Masters and PGA Championship.

Phil Mickelson is being sued over the HyFlyer logo he's worn during the 2023 LIV Golf season. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

The HyFlyer logo is new this year as the team did not wear the same logo during LIV's inaugural season in 2022. The complaint notes the "infringing mark" was first displayed in February.

The suit also notes that Cool Brand previously demanded Mickelson and the HyFlyers stop using the logo. But the team refused.

Mickelson captains the HyFlyers team that is also made up of Cameron Tringale, James Piot, and Brendan Steele.

The lawsuit's timing is interesting. The PGA Tour and LIV Golf agreed to merge last week which ended all pending litigation between the two sides. This trademark infringement lawsuit appears to be the first lawsuit in the professional golf world since news of the merger.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets, including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016, when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.