AT&T Sues NASCAR Over Logo Change
Monday March 19, 2007
You wouldn't think a simple paint scheme change to reflect a new brand would result in a lawsuit. But the change isn't so simple after all.
The new paint scheme would reflect the AT&T global logo. The company says NASCAR is violating its contract with the company, blocking the logo change and ultimately forcing the sponsor out of the sport.
More on the AT&T Vs. NASCAR Lawsuit:
The battle with NASCAR has been brewing ever since the merger of BellSouth and AT&T was announced. It all stems from a contract with the title sponsor of NASCAR, Nextel. NASCAR's deal with Nextel allows current competitors Alltel and Cingular to be grandfathered in so they can continue competing in the Nextel Cup Series.
The deal does contain provisions like the team can't change car ownership or the focus of its sponsorship. None of Nextel's competitors, other than those grandfathered in, can start competing in NASCAR races.
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The new paint scheme would reflect the AT&T global logo. The company says NASCAR is violating its contract with the company, blocking the logo change and ultimately forcing the sponsor out of the sport.
More on the AT&T Vs. NASCAR Lawsuit:
The battle with NASCAR has been brewing ever since the merger of BellSouth and AT&T was announced. It all stems from a contract with the title sponsor of NASCAR, Nextel. NASCAR's deal with Nextel allows current competitors Alltel and Cingular to be grandfathered in so they can continue competing in the Nextel Cup Series.
The deal does contain provisions like the team can't change car ownership or the focus of its sponsorship. None of Nextel's competitors, other than those grandfathered in, can start competing in NASCAR races.