In the midst of ongoing legal battles between Haas and Gunther Steiner, recent developments have revealed that Haas has filed a lawsuit against Steiner and his publisher, Ten Speed Press, in California.
The court documents, filed in the Central District of California, Western Division, allege that Steiner’s publication titled “Surviving to Drive” infringed upon Haas Automation’s trademarks and trade dress without proper authorization.
According to Haas, Steiner’s book utilized Haas Automation’s trademarks and trade dress for personal gain without consent, leading to unlawful marketing, promotion, and sale of the book.
Despite prior notifications regarding these concerns, Haas claims Steiner took no action to address the infringement, prompting the initiation of legal proceedings.
The court filings assert that Steiner’s book has sold over 150,000 units and generated revenue exceeding $4,500,000, further exacerbating the alleged trademark violations.
Haas seeks damages from Steiner and Ten Speed Press and has requested a jury trial to address the matter.
The court documents emphasize Haas Automation’s ownership of federally registered trademarks related to its CNC machine tools business and motorsport endeavors. They highlight specific photographs in Steiner’s book, including the cover image, as examples of the alleged trademark infringement.
Steiner, known for his involvement with Haas and appearances in the Netflix series “Drive to Survive,” parted ways with the team last year after his contract expired.
Should the California court proceedings proceed, the central issue to be examined is whether Steiner and Ten Speed Press’s use of the images constitutes fair use under copyright law. Fair use provisions permit the use of trademarks without consent for purposes such as commentary, criticism, news reporting, and comedy.
