The parent company of the Haas F1 team (Haas Automation) is suing former Team Principal Guenther Steiner for trade mark infringement in respect of his autobiography, "Surviving to Drive". Haas Automation never consented to Steiner's use of the Haas Automation Trademarks or the Haas Automation Trade Dress on the Accused Product". This follows a lawsuit filed by Steiner in Mecklenburg, North Carolina a couple of days earlier on 1 May against the Haas F1 team claiming unpaid commissions and the unauthorised use of his name, image and likeness on merchandise following the termination of his contract as team principal. The replacement of Steiner as Haas' F1 Team Principal attracted a lot of media attention particularly given his popularity on the Netflix show "Drive to Survive", and it seems that the break-up has turned ugly. The four claims of relief [in the Haas v Steiner case] include registered trademark infringement, trade dress infringement, false designation of origin and California common law unfair business practices.

Source: New York Times May 17, 2024 10:23 UTC