F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Haas sponsor Rich Energy hit with multiple court orders!

Haas sponsor Rich Energy has been hit with several UK court orders, one of which compels the energy drink company to provide clarity on its financial situation and its dealings with the US outfit.

Rich Energy was brought to court by British bicycle company Whyte Bikes for a copyright infringement involving its stag logo which appeared as almost an exact copy of the cycling company's emblem.

A ruling by the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court, which declared Rich Energy's stag logo as invalid, forbids the company from using its logo in the United Kingdom after July 18.

However, digging deeper into last Thursday's judgment - and thanks to FormulaSpy's Thomas Maher for doing the groundwork on this - reveals the full extent of Rich Energy's liabilities, some of which should entail some interesting information.

For starters, Rich Energy's request for permission to appeal its case was refused, although they can directly ask the Court of Appeal for permission to appeal, and this must be done by July 18.

Furthermore, Rich Energy has been ordered to pay costs of £35,416 to Whyte Bikes within 14 days.

Damages for copyright infringement must be agreed by the two parties or they shall be assessed by a court at a later date.

Moving on, the company must also deliver to Whyte Bikes all its infringing products or choose to destroy the products or "render them non-infringing" by 1 August 2019.

But wait, there's more! Rich Energy must disclose to Whyte Bikes the total UK and global sales of cans of its product bearing the stag logo and the total sums received from the sales.

The disclosed numbers will either validate the claims of Rick Energy CEO William Storey who insists his company's sales skyrocketing, or they will blow his allegations into oblivion.

Finally, in relation to Whyte Bikes' ability to assess the damages linked to the copyright infringement, Rich Energy must divulge to Whyte the following:

"Any sums of money invested by third parties in any other company or entity controlled by the Second Defendant in connection with and/or pursuant to the First Defendant’s sponsorship of the Haas F1 Team;

"Full details of any sums of money paid or payable to the Haas F1 Team pursuant to the First Defendant’s sponsorship of the Haas F1 Team, indicating in each case whether such sums were paid or payable by the First Defendant or by any other entity."

In short, Whyte Bikes will learn how much Rich Energy paid for its Haas sponsorship and who paid the team.

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

Recent Posts

Binotto sets 2030 title target as Audi plots Formula 1 rise

Audi F1 boss Mattia Binotto has reiterated the long-term vision for the German manufacturer’s Formula…

25 minutes ago

Alonso out, Crawford in for Belgian GP opening practice

Fernando Alonso will watch the opening practice session of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix from…

17 hours ago

Steiner: Wolff ‘too smart’ to lure Max Verstappen to Mercedes

The Formula 1 paddock is always a swirling vortex of toxic rumors and hearsay, and…

18 hours ago

A new Wolff in town: Jack claims his first karting win

Like father, like mother, like son! The Wolff racing legacy officially has its next generation…

20 hours ago

A Mansell home win marred by Laffite's crash

On this day in 1986, Nigel Mansell celebrated a triumphant victory on his home turf…

21 hours ago

Red Bull realized Perez's worth only after he left: ‘I overdelivered’

The second seat at Red Bull Racing has long been considered a career-ender in Formula…

22 hours ago