The United States Olympic Committee filed a federal lawsuit charging Salt Lake based-Discount Tire Co. with violating the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act (TSOASA) which grants the USOC the exclusive right to control the commercial use of Olympic-related marks and terminology in the United States.
The lawsuit says that Discount Tire erected two billboards along Interstate 15 outside Draper and Salt Lake City that featured five interlocking tires arranged like the multi-coloured Olympic symbol, and had greetings in five languages.
After the USOC complained, the company agreed to fix the problem but altered only one of the billboards. In a letter filed with the lawsuit, James Silhasek, identified in court papers as Discount Tire’s executive vice president, wrote to the USOC that he was making arrangements to have the billboards removed by Jan. 4.
The USOC suit alleges the tire store is trying to trick customers into thinking it is affiliated with the Olympic committee. It says, “Discount Tire’s actions not only deceive the public, but also are irreparably harming the USOC”. The committee is asking the court to award it three times the amount that the tire company has made by using the rings in its advertisements, as well as attorneys’ fees and damages.
Although the USOC has handled more than 200 incidents of alleged trademark infringement in the past year, fewer than five have resulted in legal action.
“We try to work with people to make them stop, but if they don’t cooperate informally, we have absolutely no problem taking them to court”, said USOC general counsel Jeff Benz.