Surf brand Lost International has filed a lawsuit against Lady Gaga, alleging that the logo used on her new Mayhem merchandise is “nearly identical” to their trademark.
The California-based surf company took legal action against the 38-year-old pop star in a California district court on Tuesday, March 25, claiming trademark infringement.
According to the lawsuit, the logo on Gaga’s Mayhem merch is “substantially similar, if not nearly identical” to the one Lost International trademarked in 2015.
The company states that it has been using the “Mayhem” trademark since 1986 for surfboards, surf equipment, clothing, accessories, and video content. Additionally, “Mayhem” serves as the nickname of co-founder Matt Biolos.
The complaint argues that “Lady Gaga’s actions are likely to mislead the public into concluding that her goods originate with or are authorized by Lost, which will damage both Lost and the public.”
It further states, “Lost has no control over the quality of goods sold by Lady Gaga and because of the source of confusion caused by Lady Gaga, Lost has lost control over its valuable goodwill.”
Lost International is demanding a jury trial and claims that a cease-and-desist letter was sent to Lady Gaga’s team but was ignored.
Responding to the lawsuit, Gaga’s attorney, Orin Snyder, dismissed the claims, stating: “Lady Gaga’s Mayhem soared to No. 1 and shattered records; a testament to her unmatched talent and global impact.
It’s disappointing — but hardly surprising — that someone is now attempting to capitalize on her success with a baseless lawsuit over the name ‘Mayhem.’ This is nothing more than an opportunistic and meritless abuse of the legal system.”
Upon release, Mayhem debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Gaga is set to launch her Mayhem Ball tour in July, performing 32 shows across North America, Europe, and the UK through November.
Speaking about the album, Gaga described Mayhem as a journey of creative exploration. “Mayhem is about following your own chaos into whatever cranny of your life that it takes you to.
And in that way, it was about following the songs,” she shared in an interview with ELLE. “Writing as many songs as I did for this album was a labor of total love. And then you just have to be very cutthroat by the end.”
