FaZe Clan is Being Sued for Trademark Infringement by FAZE Apparel

By: Nicholas Barth

FaZe Clan, the popular esports organization known for its Call of Duty and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams, is being sued for alleged trademark infringement by clothing company FAZE Apparel.

According to a report by ESPN, San Francisco based clothing company FAZE Apparel has sued popular esports organization FaZe Clan for trademark infringement regarding the esports organization selling apparel items with the word "Faze" on them and is seeking $2,000,000 in treble damages and fees and for the court to uphold its trademarks.

The lawsuit concerns a trademark that the apparel company had filed for the word "Faze" back in March 2013 and approved by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in June of 2014. May 22nd of this year saw district judge R. Gary Klausner grant the apparel company a motion for a preliminary injunction that prohibits FaZe Clan from selling any items with the word "Faze" on it without the term "Clan" included alongside it, until the dispute between the two parties is settled.

In May of 2013, the esports organization had registered for multiple trademarks that included the word "FaZe" and "FaZe Clan Sniping With" for use on clothing. However, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office denied both trademarks, as it believed it would cause potential confusion with the apparel company's already registered trademarks. July 2013 saw the esports organization register for the trademark of "FaZe Clan" for use in videos, video games and apparel items. The apparel portion of the trademark was contested again by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, but was approved later on in September of 2015.

The clothing company's lawyers stated in the lawsuit that, "FaZe Clan's willful copying of the FAZE Marks is already producing consumer confusion.  In the last several weeks alone, multiple customers have contacted FAZE Apparel to complain about FaZe Clan's merchandise or customer service."

However, the esports organization has denied that the clothing company had "superior rights" to the trademark and has decided to make a counterclaim that would see the cancellation of all trademark registrations obtained by FAZE Apparel and would reward FaZe Clan with attorney fees, costs, expenses, and interest if the court rules in FaZe Clan's favor.

This is the latest major lawsuit to make its way into the esports community, as PUBG Corp. has filed a lawsuit for copyright infringement against Epic Games in Korea regarding the alleged stealing of assets from Player Unknowns Battlegrounds for Fortnite Battle Royale.

Source >> https://www.twingalaxies.com/feed_details.php/1718/faze-clan-is-being-sued-for-trademark-infringement-by-faze-apparel#.WxT58TL53-U.twitter