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Shaun White Sues Oakley for Allegedly Using Him to Promote Sunglasses After Their Deal Expired

Home / Exclusive / Shaun White Sues Oakley for Allegedly Using Him to Promote Sunglasses After Their Deal Expired

By TheBlast Staff on July 3, 2019 at 10:44 AM EDT

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Snowboarding legend Shaun White claims sunglass giant Oakley kept using his likeness to promote their product even after their deal expired and now he's suing.

According to court documents obtained by The Blast, White claims he had a licensing deal with Oakley and Luxottica (which owns Sunglass Hut) that expired on December 31, 2017.

But White claims even after the deal ended, they "continued to prominently use Mr. White's name, image and identity, without this consent, in advertising, marketing and promotion for Oakley and Sunglass Hut."

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Their alleged use of his image, he claims, to promote their products included "leading up to, during and after the XXIII Olympic Winter Games ... in their products and in large posters in their store windows in South Korea where the games took place and where Mr. White won his record-breaking third gold medal in snowboarding."

White says that Oakley and Luxottica "did not receive Mr. White's permission to use his publicity rights in connection with the Infringements, or otherwise to associate heir companies or rands with Mr. White, or to market or sell their commercial products after the expiration of the terms of the agreement."

White claims the alleged infringements are still going on now.

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He argues that he "has developed and cultivated his publicity rights to create universal recognition and value. Defendants have, without any right, title or authorization, misappropriated and infringed Mr. White's publicity rights or the aforementioned commercial purposes."

White is seeking unspecified damages.

The lawsuit was filed on White's behalf by attorney Charles Harder, who has represented the likes of Hulk Hogan and Donald Trump.

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