Why is Tiger Woods entering a legal fight with Tigeraire? Full controversy explored
Tiger Woods has found himself embroiled in legal trouble over a trademark dispute with a Baton Rouge-based company named Tigeraire. The legendary golfer launched his apparel and lifestyle brand, Sun Day Red, in collaboration with TaylorMade earlier this year. His brand's logo features a leaping tiger with 15 stripes.
Recently, Tigeraire, which was founded in 2020, filed a complaint against Tiger Woods' Sun Day Red with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, accusing the golfer's brand of "unlawfully" hijacking their logo.
Tigeraire also has a logo of a leaping tiger, which the company claims closely resembles the one used by Woods' Sun Day Red, according to a report by CNBC. In the court filing, Tigeraire sought to deny Sun Day Red's trademark application.
Tigeraire stated in the filing that Woods' company had "blatantly ignored" their identity and that the similarities between the logos could cause confusion among customers.
“The actions of SDR, TaylorMade and Tiger Woods blatantly ignore Tigeraire’s long-standing protected mark, brand and identity, violate federal and state intellectual property law, and disregard the consumer confusion their actions create. SDR’s application should be denied,” reads the court filing of Tigeraire as quoted by CNBC.
However, as reported by Golf Digest, Sun Day Red responded to the filing on Thursday, 26 September, with a 24-page brief stating that the company had not violated Tigeraire's trademark rights. Furthermore, Sun Day Red's lawyer allegedly accused Tigeraire of filing the case in hopes of gaining:
"an unwarranted financial windfall from a larger and more successful brand based on threats of legal action and demands for exorbitant sums." via Golf Digest.
Although the case is still pending in court, it will not affect the production of Sun Day Red apparel and the brand will continue its operations as usual.
A closer look at Tiger Woods's Sun Day Red and Tigeraire
Tiger Woods' Sun Day Red is a lifestyle and apparel brand that primarily deals with golf outfits and accessories. On the other hand, Tigeraire is known for manufacturing cooling products. According to its official website, the company produces air-conditioning wearables designed to help athletes stay comfortable while playing in unfavorable conditions.
Tigeraire was launched in 2020, and its logo registration application was approved in 2022, as reported by SB Nation. Meanwhile, Tiger Woods launched his company earlier this year, in February.
Regarding their logos, Sun Day Red features a tiger with 15 stripes, representing the number of Major titles Woods has won. Meanwhile, Tigeraire's logo has more stripes.
Notably, Woods was previously known for wearing Nike apparel on the golf course for nearly three decades. However, he parted ways with the company earlier this year and soon after, launched Sun Day Red.