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Titleist Seeks Preliminary Injunction Against Taylormade-adidas Golf

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This is a press release

Acushnet Company, the golf business of Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE: FO), and manufacturer of Titleist, the #1 ball in golf, and FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf, filed suit today in Superior Court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts against TaylorMade-adidas Golf (TMaG) and professional golfer Camilo Villegas. Acushnet Company is seeking a preliminary injunction against TMaG and Villegas regarding any future comments pertaining to a potential future relationship between them. Villegas, ranked No. 25 in the Official World Golf Ranking, is exclusively under contract with Acushnet to play the company’s Titleist Pro V1 golf ball, and wear FootJoy golf shoes and gloves, and is prominently featured in the advertising and promotion of those products. The suit claims TMaG intentionally interfered with Villegas’ current contract nearly five months before the end of its term. Acushnet will seek damages in addition to injunctive relief.

In a press release distributed on August 3rd, TaylorMade’s president and CEO announced that Villegas will join the TMaG tour staff beginning in 2011, and stated that more information will be revealed on September 9, 2010. It further noted that Villegas will join “other members of the renowned TaylorMade Tour Staff,” including Kenny Perry and Mike Weir, both of whom are under contract with Acushnet Company to play Titleist golf balls and wear Titleist or FootJoy golf gloves.

“It is unconscionable that this competitor would interfere with a player’s contract by publicly announcing its intentions with that player during his contract term with another company,” said Joe Nauman, Executive Vice President, Corporate and Legal, Acushnet Company. “The timing of TMaG’s press release was obviously calculated to harm Acushnet Company and diminish the value of Camilo’s endorsements. The behavior of TMaG and Camilo’s agent is reprehensible, causing Acushnet Company irreparable and significant damage. Camilo is under contract with Acushnet Company through the end of the year and we expect the agreement to be honored throughout the term. We fully expect the Court to act quickly in granting the preliminary injunction and providing the other relief being sought.”
 
Good now they can afford to run a few more Pro V1 commercials. I haven't seen one in the last 5 minutes.
 
interesting, I did see the Villegas move talked about on Golf Central last night. Thoughts on what will happen...
 
hmmmmmm sounds like something was going on under the covers and like Tiger, once it gets out, it's ugly.
 
I guess I'm confused? Is it uncommon in golf for a player to sign a new contract before his current one is up? That type of thing happens all the time in NASCAR.
 
hawk308 said:
I guess I'm confused? Is it uncommon in golf for a player to sign a new contract before his current one is up? That type of thing happens all the time in NASCAR.
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i'm assuming that we'll never know the full details, but if TM did breach some sort of conduct then they should be held accountable for their actions. my first thought was "pull your finger out titleist!" but they may be totally within their rights to pursue whatever it is they're pursuing.
 
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hawk308 said:
I guess I'm confused? Is it uncommon in golf for a player to sign a new contract before his current one is up? That type of thing happens all the time in NASCAR.
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Not really. Its not often a company puts out a press release on it though in midstream (in my opinion), but I dont see how any harm has been done. This once again wreaks of something bad!
 
solidkjames said:
Good now they can afford to run a few more Pro V1 commercials. I haven't seen one in the last 5 minutes.
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"my name is bernard, my name is danny, my name is norman, and i trust the pro v1".....that's great guys, i have no idea who you are, what your game is like, and i'm assuming you're an actor.
 
As much as I would like to disagree with this, they may have a point legally. If I was shelling out $$$ for a player to endorse my stuff, I would want him till the day his contract expired. If the information was leaked, I don't know if they have a foot to stand on, but if it was an actual press release, then they may have a point. Then again, maybe TM knew this was going to happen and they calculated the cost as in their advertising budget because you know news like this will only help to shine light on the situation.

TM wins either way.
 
I'm gonna use my free ProV1's as water balls now. Take that Titleist! All joking asisde Im really gonna use them as water balls and I really am sick of Titleist.
 
If you can't beat 'em, sue 'em.



That's a bad business strategy, BTW.
 
Wasn't it THP that broke the story?
 
But they have enough spin to stop on the greens...
tcalloway1 said:
"my name is bernard, my name is danny, my name is norman, and i trust the pro v1".....that's great guys, i have no idea who you are, what your game is like, and i'm assuming you're an actor.
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I am not meaning to imply anything, but it is at least an interesting twist!
 
We did break the story and that's not really the issue here. They are mad about the press release publicly announcing what he will be playing and how he won't be using a Titleist ball or FootJoy shoes. We didn't mention specifics we just said he was making the switch to TM. It's the specifics that they are mad about because they have ads with him in it promoting those items and they feel that is a break of contract.

I have mixed feelings on this. TM clearly stated that he won't be switching until 2011 which is when his current contact will be up but it's a fine line because they did kill their marketing and I am not sure what the legalities behind that are.
 
Or that hand motion she uses....

Either way, they need to relax. They lost a staffer. How this will help them now I don't know. Seems like the scorned ex syndrome.
tcalloway1 said:
yep, it's definitely the ball!!!
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Yoccos1981 said:
Or that hand motion she uses....

Either way, they need to relax. They lost a staffer. How this will help them now I don't know. Seems like the scorned ex syndrome.
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i couldn't agree more.....crying over spilled milk, it's silly.
 
Sorry but I just dont feel bad for Titleist one bit.
 
Titleist...........the most lost ball in golf !
 
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