Sue Bird, WNBA point guard and co-founder of the lifestyle brand TOGETHXR, has filed a lawsuit against the XFL, a football league that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson bought in 2020.
Previously, Bird had threatened to sue the XFL over what she claims to be an infringement on her intellectual property rights, after the company launched a campaign that seems eerily similar to her own brand.
In 2001, the league had its first and only season, which stirred considerable controversy at the time. An attempt to rebrand and reboot the league occurred in 2018, and it ultimately filed for bankruptcy in 2020.
Then, earlier this year, it was announced that, in collaboration with the NFL, the XFL would work toward "expand[ing] the game of football," starting its training camps in early 2023.
The deal will see XFL games broadcast on ESPN, FX, and ABC, starting as early as 2023, and running through to the end of 2027.
In April, Bird tweeted a screenshot taken from the XFL account that showcases their rebranding, as well as its "together" campaign. In the tweet, Bird says, "Well doesn't this [look] familiar."
In her Tweet, Rapinoe shows her intent to pursue legal action, stating, "Only thing @TheRock and @XFL2023 are gonna be cookin up is a response to the Cease and Desist and an ENTIRE new b4and ID."
Each logo heavily emphasizes the X, as well as the use of "togetherness." In addition, screenshots showing both brands' Instagram accounts surfaced, showing captions on posts that share striking similarities to one another.
The X in particular has XFL's new logo appearing nearly identical to that of TOGETHXR's, which was founded in 2021 by Alex Morgan, Chloe Kim, Simone Manuel, and Bird herself.
Wednesday, June 2nd, attorneys representing the lifestyle brand officially filed their lawsuit, claiming that the design the XFL chose for their new logo is "confusingly similar to TOGETHXR’s brand and logo."
TOGETHXR's attorneys have reportedly attempted to contact the XFL, stating that the league "failed to acknowledge that it has tread on TOGETHXR’s rights."
The lawsuit seems to be against the XFL itself, and not Johnson individually. However, since he's part-owner of the league, he will undoubtedly be involved in the case.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments!
