Miss universe maker recently sued the Czech company of Winner’s iconic crowns, stating that it kept touting its relationship with the pageant even after it breached its 10 year sponsorship agreement. IMG Universe, whose parent firm bought the pageant from Donald Trump in 2015, said it canceled International Corp’s contract in August last year after financial issues caused the Prague-based firm to miss 2 necessary payments.
DIC however kept advertising its ties to the pageant, with its website where it showed its logo at the top of the Miss Universe name, according to the lawsuit. Miss Universe trademarks are ‘well-known and distinctive,’ and DIC's use of them cheated the public and caused ‘substantial and irreparable harm’ to the pageant, IMG said in its complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.
IMG Universe also asserted that this was not the Czech Republic-based firm's first breach of the contract. The lawsuit seeks triple damages for the supposed trademark breach, $2.04 million of contractual payments, and unnamed damages for breaching the sponsorship agreement, which was to run from 2015 to 2024.
Its parent organization, the talent organization William Morris Endeavor also known as WME/IMG, bought the Miss Universe association from Trump in September 2015 for a secret price. The purchase came a few days after Trump bought NBCUniversal’s 50 percent stake, giving him full possession.
According to the accusation, DIC stated the crown was “designed to blend the Czech roots of DIC with the beautiful skyline of New York City, home of the Miss Universe Organization and its title holders.”
“For several years after it became Miss Universe’s crown sponsor, Diamonds International provided only begrudging performance under the contract, and failed to deliver many of the items and services that it was required to provide as a sponsor on a regular basis,” said the suit.
What do you have to say about the issue? Do write your comments in the segment below.