A Long Island distillery is suing Saudi-backed LIV Golf, alleging that the league’s use of “LIV” on branded apparel and alcoholic beverages infringes the spirits maker’s registered trademarks.
Long Island Spirits, a craft distillery on the eastern end of Long Island, filed a federal lawsuit in Central Islip earlier this week accusing LIV Golf of violating both New York law and federal trademark law. The company is asking the court to prohibit golf leagues from using “LIV” in connection with the sale of apparel or alcohol.
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Long Island Spirits is also seeking unspecified damages from LIV.
The basis of the lawsuit is that the company registered the LIV brand in 2007 and that the company has marketed LiV branded vodka and additional spirits. According to the complaint, LIV Golf’s expansion into the merchandise and alcohol sector has caused confusion among consumers, retailers, and distributors.
Long Island Spirits uses both LIV and LiV for branding on its website and in litigation.
A Long Island distillery is taking Saudi-backed LIV Golf to court. Getty Images
“LIV Golf has spent billions of dollars on marketing efforts aimed at gaining recognition, including expanding the ‘LIV’ brand into alcoholic beverages and apparel, the very areas in which LIV has long owned trademarks and built a reputation for authenticity,” Long Island Spirits said in its lawsuit.
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“While this escalating infringement campaign has benefited LIV Golf, it has squandered LIV’s goodwill and caused significant confusion for consumers,” the lawsuit continued. “That disruption is likely to grow even more in the near future, as LIV Golf executives have recently touted their intention to expand sales of LIV-branded apparel and alcoholic beverages, including a vodka-based cocktail that the company calls the ‘LiV Clubhouse Cooler.'”
The complaint also describes the situation as “intentional and deliberate unfair competition and misuse of the LIV mark” by the golf league.
A detailed drawing of a flag with the LIV Golf logo is seen during the Pro-Am prior to the LIV Golf Invitational – Portland held at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in North Plains, Oregon on June 29, 2022. From Getty Images
“Consumers’ mistaken belief that LIV is affiliated with a highly controversial and highly commercialized business backed by a large foreign sovereign wealth fund is the antithesis of the authentic, pioneering and craft-spirited LíV brand,” the Long Island company said in court documents.
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LIV Golf has not publicly commented on the lawsuit.
Founded in 2007, Long Island Spirits produces whiskey, liqueurs, LiV brand vodka, gin and ready-to-drink cocktails.
The LIV acronym originally stood for Long Island Vodka.
LIV Golf was founded in 2021 at a dramatic moment for the sport of golf, sparking a civil war that has never cooled down since.
The lawsuit was filed before LIV Golf was scheduled to hold its first tournament in the New York metropolitan area in August at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
