In his defense, Dimopoulos highlighted that his advertisements for platforms like YouTube and regional TV merely featured a black and silver palette—a color combo he had championed long before the Raiders made their epic relocation from Oakland to Las Vegas in 2020.
Championing his cause, Dimopoulos’ counsel dubbed the NFL a “trademark titan”, overstepping its bounds.
The NFL’s Counter-Offensive
The league, however, didn’t stay on the defensive for long. They countered with claims that Dimopoulos’ marketing maneuvers, including showcasing Raiders’ star Maxx Crosby in seemingly familiar threads, were tactical plays designed to echo the Raiders’ brand.
To amplify their defense, they highlighted that Dimopoulos’ brand colors didn’t align with the Raiders’ Oakland-era hues. Moreover, they noted, his firm’s shield insignia bore an uncanny resemblance to the Raiders’ emblem, and his online store seemed to stock merchandise echoing Raiders’ designs.
In a bursty statement, the NFL’s merchandising unit declared, “The undoubted message being telegraphed is that Dimopoulos shares a marketing or endorsement bond with the Raiders—a connection that is entirely fictional.”
