Bizarre logo coincidence? Rich Energy and Whyte Bikes

F1’s Haas team’s new sponsor Rich Energy have provided the classic JPS black and gold livery for their 2019 cars and their logo is almost identical to Whyte’s. For a minute I thought, hang on, Whyte have sponsored a F1 team, WTF? But the logo is only slightly different, perhaps even more bizarre. I mean, it’s not like the logo is based on some classic emblematic reference, is it?

Rich Energy and Whyte Bikes

Don’t bother posting pics – we’ll just use our imaginations :p

https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/court-lists/list-patents-court-diary/section1A.pdf

Page 11. I guess the courts will decide. Due to be heard next month.

It’s not even a particularly good logo, so beats me why Rich Energy just nicked it.

Being discussed over on auto sport.

https://forums.autosport.com/topic/211627-what-is-rich-energy/page-17

Oddly Jon Whyte was a suspension designer with the former Benetton F1 team..

I dun a fing for the lazy

Maybe the extra weeny little antler bits will mean Rich will get away with it?

That energy drink set-up (and its CEO) is bizarre to say the least.

Certainly a copyright infringement but for trademarks, depends on what classifications they are registered in and whether there’s a potential conflict and there’s “passing off” i.e. Whyte would have to show its a detriment to their sales to be able to make a claim. Often these things are resolved with a licensing agreement.

If whyte move onto energy drinks there’s an issue. If Rich want to sell a bike, same. Otherwise it probably won’t be an issue. Is not uncommon.

If anything it could be beneficial to Whyte Bikes, millions people could see the Rich Energy Logo on the F1 cars then subconsciously spot it when looking for a radgnar UK trail shredder and buy the Whyte ‘cos they sponsor F1 innit, so must be brilliant

Otherwise it probably won’t be an issue

I think ATB Sales have a different opinion. See here.

On top of the blatant logo infringement..

No compromise. Keeping you going 100 times longer.

How do they quantify that?

Rich Energy have a £50m manufacturing facility and are now sponsoring an F1 team. UK based yet no-one has heard of them or purchased their drinks. Where on earth are they getting their money from?

…EU refund of the money that we could have got to fund the NHS…

Less strange things have happened than

A company making it look like they have the cash to buy an F1 team then getting all high profile by advertising all over the shop on a high speed advertising board seen by billions and eventually making or having the money to buy am F1 team through by sheer prospecting…

Invariably the fly by the seat of your pants never seem to lose their millions even when bankrupt

Rich Energy have a £50m manufacturing facility and are now sponsoring an F1 team. UK based yet no-one has heard of them or purchased their drinks. Where on earth are they getting their money from?

Prince Philip, Amber Rudd and some Lizards.

Makes you think..

The CEO is quite a character! Wouldn’t look amiss in the MTB world to be honest. Riding a single speed Jones and hanging out with Taz & Brant.

The numbers don’t stack up though- check out filling for 2018 on Companies House.
I imagine he’s old money and it’s a hobby. That said, he’s only got 3 companies listed on Companies House, 2 of which are linked to Rich Energy and 1 for ‘Wise Guy Boxing’ which doesn’t give you any results online despite being a Computer Consultant
firm. They are a UK brand, claimed to have sold 90 million cans, but I’ve never seen or heard of them. Tin foil hat’s on guys

Where on earth are they getting their money from?

How much to be a main sponsor for an F1 team. £25m per year? This is odder than an odd thing from Oddville.

Riding a single speed Jones and hanging out with Taz & Brant.

I knew there was money in the trousering business.

1 for ‘Wise Guy Boxing’ which doesn’t give you any results online despite being a Computer Consultant

The company is probably so he can take on IT contracts, one man band type thing, I reckon. Pretty common in the IT world.

150 other businesses registered at that office only 265 quid a desk

No compromise. Keeping you going 100 times longer.

How do they get away with that? Easy, Redbull gives you wings!

Joe Saward was also confused where the money trail was when Storey was allegedly looking to but the whole team.

Force India (or whatever it will be called soon)

Anyone know what happened/is happening re the court hearing?  Thought it was due to be decided early March but my Google skills are failing me.

Don’t know about the court case but I would bet £10 that Frank Stronach is the money behind it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Stronach. Its right up his (bonkers) street.

They were still using the logo at the Australian race.

Judgment is due 1st May 2019.
Apparently ATB have been trying to get Rich Energy/William Storey to attend court for a couple years now (hence IP- 2017). I don’t see how RE could win this over Whyte. Still, RE have continued to produce their product with the logo (40,000 can delivery recently). Good thread here too– some major sleuthing from one poster.

…and the verdict is in (Whyte won, but Rich Energy might appeal):

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0127/9963/9610/files/ATB_Sales_Limited_v_Rich_Energy_Limited_and_Ors_FINAL_Judgment_14_May_2019_IP2017000235.pdf?2319

Oh it was a copyright claim, not a trade mark one.

and the verdict is in (Whyte won, but Rich Energy might appeal):

Amusing judgement. Judge not particularly impressed with the reliability of Mr Energy Drink’s evidence, and some telltale metadata on the ‘old’ documents they were using to suggest an earlier design process…

Quite an entertaining read. Surely they’d have to be barking mad to appeal….oh, hang on…😄

That drink sounds Sick!

Wow. That’s a helluva a read. Thanks for posting.

If I weren’t in a hotel room away with work either nothing on tv I wouldn’t have read that.

Basically sounds like the Rich energy guys have copied the logo but thought they’d get away with tweaking a couple of bits – but have come very unstuck. They also haven’t prepared well enough for the court case and have been embarrassed.

Brilliant stuff. My favourite bit being..

He had a tendency to make impressive statements, which on further investigation or consideration were not quite what they seemed. For example, when Mr Wyand in cross-examination tried to understand his evidence about the sales figures of Rich Energy drinks, and put to him that he had been quoted in the press in February 2019 as saying that the First Defendant had produced 90 million cans, Mr Storey explained that it had produced 90 million cans, but had not yet filled and sold them.

Third defendant raised an invoice for £50,000 for some PDFs of sketches. I’m in the wrong business. Oh, wait…

Love the fact they worked backwards after stealing the logo to make it appear that they somehow ended up there through sketches. It’s within 7% of the Whyte logo, plus some extra antler bits. The tenuous link to Richmond Park and the stags is laughable.
So many lies in there and I’m so glad that they were called out on it.

Third defendant raised an invoice for £50,000 for some PDFs of sketches.

All seem to be Stoweys friends, common theme with his companies. Probably no money actually exchanged. The designs consultancy still has the Rich energy client/portfolio on their website.

“Imbecilic” 😀

Interesting read. The comments about Whyte are great – Turned up, were very helpful to the court and gave credible evidence. The rest… well!