Guenther Steiner receives legal boost as Haas copyright case dismissed
Guenther Steiner left Haas before the start of the 2024 season.
Haas Automation have seen their case dismissed by a US judge after they claimed former team principal Guenther Steiner infringed on their trademark.
The American company claimed that Steiner had infringed on their trademark in his 2022 book Surviving to Drive but a US judge has now ruled that to be inaccurate.
Haas’ legal case against Guenther Steiner dropped
Haas sued their former team principal and his publisher Ten Speed in May over claims he had used Haas branding and trademarks in the book without permission or consent from the company.
The defence argued that use of the logos fell under fair use and was protected by the First Amendment and a California judge has agreed, stating that the choice of images was artistically relevant and not explicitly misleading.
“The Book recounts Steiner’s experiences as team principal of the Haas F1 Team during the 2022 season,” court documents read.
“Using photos that include the Haas marks is an artistic choice to provide additional context about the 2022 season with the Haas F1 Team.
“Here, there is no explicit indication, overt claim, or explicit misstatement that the ‘source of the work’ is Haas Automation.
“While there’s an argument the photo on the cover implicitly suggests endorsement or sponsorship, there is no explicitly misleading statement or suggestion by way of the Haas marks.
“Accordingly, defendants’ use here of the Haas marks is protected under Rogers. Defendants’ motion is therefore granted.”
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The Rogers test comes from the landmark case Rogers v. Grimaldi, where a performer called Ginger Rogers sued the producers and distributors of a film, Ginger and Fred, alleging that the title violated the Lanham Act by creating a false impression that she was involved in some manner in the film.
The Lanham Act prohibits the use of work that confuses the affiliation, connection, or association with the work holder.
This is not the only legal dispute between Steiner and Haas with the former claiming he is owed commissions and royalties in a case that is ongoing.
Steiner left Haas before the 2024 season with the team opting to replace him with Ayao Komatsu. Since leaving the team, Steiner has taken up a number of media engagements and has a second book coming out later this year.
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