Soccer sensation Lionel Messi is the latest name to take issue with PRIME, the drinks company founded by WWE Superstar Logan Paul and fellow content creator KSI. A new lawsuit filed by the 37-year-old Argentinian player is hitting out at PRIME for being “anti-competitive.”
Messi launched his drink company back in June of this year with four flavors available in both bottles and cans. Many argued that the designs of the drinks bore a striking resemblance to the KSI/Paul product.
Mas+ by Messi distributor Mark Anthony International filed a lawsuit against PRIME Hydration on October 8, Dexerto reports, seeking a declaratory judgment to confirm Mas+ is not copying Prime’s bottle design. In the lawsuit, Anthony claims that PRIME reached out and demanded Mas+ cease sales until their packaging was changed. It is also claimed that PRIME has threatened to sue for trademark and trade dress infringement.
The lawsuit against PRIME claims that the drinks company is “seeking not only to prevent fair competition but also is trying to monopolize functional packaging elements that are commonplace in the hydration beverage industry” Anthony also claims that an “experienced survey expert” demonstrated that there was no likelihood that consumers would confuse the two products.
Logan Paul’s PRIME Problems
This lawsuit is the latest legal issue for Logan Paul who continues to make headlines outside the squared circle for the wrong reasons. The U.S. Olympic Committee is suing PRIME over the use of trademarked terms they claim could lead people to believe PRIME is an official sponsor. Refresco, a supplier of PRIME, is seeking at least $67.7 million over an alleged breach of contract based on the production of the beverage.
Despite these lawsuits and questions regarding PRIME’s use of caffeine in beverages, PRIME remains a sponsor of WWE events with a ‘Hydration Station‘ being a fixture at Premium Live Events. Stay tuned to SEScoops for all the latest on Logan Paul and the former U.S. Champion’s successful, albeit controversial, drinks brand.