The authorized turmoil between the Haas F1 Staff and its former workforce principal Guenther Steiner has now become a bitter feud between the 2 events.
Simply two weeks after Steiner sued Haas in North Carolina for alleged unpaid commissions, Haas Automation, the mum or dad firm and sponsor of the F1 workforce, has filed a countersuit in California.
The authorized motion targets Steiner’s autobiography, ‘Surviving to Drive’, alleging trademark infringements.
In response to courtroom paperwork filed within the Central District of California, Haas contends that Steiner and his writer, Ten Pace Press, used workforce logos and different protected imagery with out permission.
Haas Automation, which has requested a jury trial, laid out its grievances in papers filed with the Court docket.
“In 2023, with out permission or consent from Haas Automation, Steiner authored, marketed, promoted, bought, distributed, and profited from a publication titled “Surviving to Drive” (the “Accused Product”), which unlawfully used and displayed, and continues to make use of and show, the Haas Automation Logos and the Haas Automation Commerce Gown for Steiner’s private monetary achieve and illicit revenue.
“Haas Automation by no means consented to Steiner’s use of the Haas Automation Logos or the Haas Automation Commerce Gown on the Accused Product.
“Haas Automation gave pre-lawsuit discover to Steiner however thus far Steiner has taken no motion to stop or mitigate his infringing acts, necessitating the moment lawsuit,” the corporate states.
“Steiner sells and promotes the Accused Product in numerous mediums, together with with out limitation print and digital, in violation of Haas Automation’s unique mental property rights.
“Data out there on-line signifies that as of January 2024, the Accused Product has exceeded gross sales of at the least 150,000 models and generated income of at the least $4,500,000.”
Central to the case will doubtless be the idea of “truthful use.” This authorized doctrine permits restricted use of copyrighted or trademarked materials for functions like commentary, criticism, or information reporting, even with out permission.
Steiner and Ten Pace Press will doubtless argue their use of the photographs falls beneath truthful use, maybe claiming they’re obligatory to inform Steiner’s story about his time main the Haas F1 workforce.
The result will hinge on whether or not the courtroom finds the use is “transformative” – including new which means or context – or just exploits the Haas model for industrial achieve.
Whatever the end result, the lawsuit provides one other layer to the drama surrounding Steiner’s departure from Haas on the finish of 2023.
Having been a key determine because the workforce’s inception in 2016, his fiery character and management model gained him a cult following, notably via his appearances on Netflix’s Drive to Survive sequence.
Whether or not his e book’s use of workforce imagery constitutes truthful use or trademark infringement stays to be seen, however one factor’s for positive: the struggle between Haas and Steiner is way from over.
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