Lionel Messi's new beverage brand faces legal disputes from Logan Paul and KSI

Lionel Messi’s beverage company, Mas+ by Messi, is currently embroiled in a legal dispute with Logan Paul and KSI’s Prime Hydration over allegations of "anti-competitive" behaviour. Mark Anthony International, the distributor of Mas+, filed a lawsuit on October 8, 2024, seeking a declaratory judgment, affirming that their packaging does not violate Prime’s design.

What is the reason for the dispute?

This legal action comes in response to Prime Hydration’s purported demands for Mas+ to halt sales unless the drink’s packaging was modified. The lawsuit further alleges that Prime threatened a trademark and trade dress infringement lawsuit, prompting Mas+ to vigorously defend their brand.

After surveying with an experienced expert, Mark Anthony International concluded that consumers were unlikely to confuse the two brands. The lawsuit emphasizes the marketing distinctions between Messi’s Mas+ and Prime, highlighting Logan Paul's public controversies as a key factor that sets the two companies apart.

Prime Hydration has recently overcome a legal hurdle, as a lawsuit concerning "forever chemicals" was dismissed earlier in October. The outcome of this legal clash between two major sports drink companies is eagerly anticipated, as the hydration beverage market continues to heat up.

“Unsurprisingly, the survey demonstrated no likelihood of confusion at all between the two products, which further supported Mark Anthony’s position that confusion is not likely,” Mas+ claimed that their packaging is a lot different from that of Paul's.

“Because of these controversies and other public stunts, the public understands who Logan Paul is, and it can easily distinguish him and his business partners from Mr. Messi,” the suit states