Nike is suing soccer's world governing body as it looks to defend its entitlement to use 'USA 2003' to promote the US women's soccer team during the Women's World Cup currently taking place in the US, despite claims from FIFA that it violates trademark rights.
Nike issued a statement declaring that it wanted to take pre-emptive action because FIFA had threatened its own lawsuit. The charges were filed in a US District Court in Manhattan.
FIFA had initially sent a letter to Nike on September 11 warning that it successfully has defended rights to World Cup trademarks such as 'France 98', 'Korea/Japan 2002' and 'Germany 2006' and it considered 'USA 2003' no different.
The letter charged Nike of engaging in unfair competition and false advertising and was likely to confuse consumers, who might believe that Nike was sponsoring FIFA-organised events.
FIFA has a long standing commercial relationship with Nike's biggest market rival adidas.
FIFA would not comment on Nike's pre-emptive legal move when contacted by sportbusiness.com
