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17 May 2017Trademarks

Miss Universe beauty pageant sues crown maker

The producer of the Miss Universe pageant has sued Diamonds International, alleging that the Czech Republic-based company claimed an association with the pageant even after breaching its sponsorship agreement.

IMG Universe, the pageant’s producer, filed its lawsuit at the US District Court for the Southern District of New York yesterday.

Diamonds International was hired to make the pageant winner’s crown and signed a sponsorship agreement in 2014, according to the claim.

As part of the deal, Diamonds International agreed to provide the crown and cash payments every year.

But Diamonds International failed to pay $190,000 it promised as a sponsorship fee and the agreement was terminated in 2016, said the claim.

IMG Universe alleged that after the agreement was terminated, Diamonds International continued to feature the Miss Universe trademarks prominently on its website.

The pageant producer is the owner of the trademark ‘Miss Universe’, US number 1,597,876, for use in connection with “entertainment services, namely, the presentation of pageants and contests” in international class 41.

It also owns ‘Miss Universe’ in international class 35 and the crown design trademark.

“Diamonds International continued to seize that benefit while refusing to live up to its end of the bargain,” said the pageant producer.

It claimed that in February 2017, the primary homepage for Diamonds International, dicholdings.com, still maintained at the very top of the page a “Miss Universe” button.

IMG Universe also claimed this wasn’t the Czech Republic-based company’s first breach of the contract.

“For several years after it became Miss Universe’s crown sponsor, Diamonds International provided only begrudging performance under the contract, and failed to deliver many of the items and services that it was required to provide as a sponsor on a regular basis,” said the suit.

IMG Universe is seeking damages, contractual payments under the sponsorship agreement, injunctive relief and a jury

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