U.S. Soccer Federation Settles With Charitable Arm Over 'Hijacked' Trademarks
Quinn Emanuel and Crowell & Moring had been litigating a dispute over the organizations' trademarks for the last 18 months.
May 18, 2020 at 11:09 AM
2 minute read
The revamped U.S. Soccer Federation has put another lawsuit in the rearview mirror.
A few weeks after winning an equal pay dispute with the U.S. Senior Women's National Team, the federation has settled a trademark suit that its charitable arm brought against it in 2018.
The federation is the governing body that oversees the U.S. national teams. The foundation is focused on promoting youth soccer, particularly among disadvantaged children. On Friday they jointly stipulated to dismiss U.S. Soccer Federation Foundation v. U.S. Soccer Federation and stated publicly that the agreement is in the best interest of the sport.
"As we move forward, the U.S. Soccer Federation and the U.S. Soccer Foundation will work together to provide access and opportunities for all soccer players across the country, particularly those in low-income communities and others in need," the organizations stated.
The federation registered the name "U.S. Soccer Foundation" and its familiar shooting ball logo with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in the late 1990s. The foundation alleged that the two organizations "have shared the understanding" that the foundation actually owned the marks, and that the federation was trying to "hijack" them for its own use. The federation maintained that it had invested many millions over decades in developing, promoting and policing the marks.
In recent months the federation has shaken up its executive ranks, including placing its chief legal officer on leave, as it's absorbed the PR hit of being sued by the women's team while facing the same kinds of financial and operational challenges that the coronavirus is posing to most sports.
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan represented the foundation, defeating a motion to disqualify the firm along the way. Partner Robert Raskopf signed Friday's stipulation, along with partners Todd Anten and Julia Beskin and associate Scott Lerner. Crowell & Moring partners Kent Goss and David Ervin and counsel Molly Jones led the federation's team.
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