JamesG
02-22-2025, 12:30 AM
Pepperdine University Sues Netflix & Warner Bros. over "Running Point" Trademark Infringement
by Glenn Garner
February 21, 2025
Ahead of its Netflix premiere on Feb. 27, Mindy Kaling‘s new sports comedy series "Running Point" is already making waves.
On Thursday, Pepperdine University announced a trademark infringement lawsuit against Netflix and Warner Bros., accusing the show of “misappropriation of the university’s brand” with the logo for its fictional Los Angeles-based basketball team The Waves.
According to a statement shared by the Malibu-based Christian university, the team logo in the show:
“bears a striking resemblance in branding to Pepperdine’s longstanding and well-known Waves athletics program. The series prominently features a team name, colors, and other indicia that are identical or highly similar to Pepperdine’s, as well as the number ’37’, which is closely associated with the university’s history and mascot.”
The school also has “deep concerns about some of the series’ themes, which include explicit content, substance use, nudity, and profanity—elements that are inconsistent with Pepperdine’s Christian values and reputation.”
Pepperdine claims the school has made multiple attempts to resolve the issue amicably with Netflix and Warner Bros., but both “have refused to take any remediating action.”
https://deadline.com/2025/02/pepperdine-university-sues-netflix-warner-bros-running-point-trademark-infringement-1236298013/
by Glenn Garner
February 21, 2025
Ahead of its Netflix premiere on Feb. 27, Mindy Kaling‘s new sports comedy series "Running Point" is already making waves.
On Thursday, Pepperdine University announced a trademark infringement lawsuit against Netflix and Warner Bros., accusing the show of “misappropriation of the university’s brand” with the logo for its fictional Los Angeles-based basketball team The Waves.
According to a statement shared by the Malibu-based Christian university, the team logo in the show:
“bears a striking resemblance in branding to Pepperdine’s longstanding and well-known Waves athletics program. The series prominently features a team name, colors, and other indicia that are identical or highly similar to Pepperdine’s, as well as the number ’37’, which is closely associated with the university’s history and mascot.”
The school also has “deep concerns about some of the series’ themes, which include explicit content, substance use, nudity, and profanity—elements that are inconsistent with Pepperdine’s Christian values and reputation.”
Pepperdine claims the school has made multiple attempts to resolve the issue amicably with Netflix and Warner Bros., but both “have refused to take any remediating action.”
https://deadline.com/2025/02/pepperdine-university-sues-netflix-warner-bros-running-point-trademark-infringement-1236298013/