Issue No. 058 · Story 02 · September 25, 2026

Liga MX Sues Kalshi Over Sports Market Branding

The Mexican Football Federation filed a federal trademark lawsuit in New York accusing Kalshi of using the Liga MX name and club logos without authorization in prediction markets.

§The complaint alleges that Kalshi's use of league and club marks can create a false impression of sponsorship or endorsement.
§The federation seeks an injunction barring use of the Liga MX mark and club names, along with monetary relief.
§The parties exchanged cease-and-desist correspondence before the lawsuit was filed.
§Kalshi previously asserted that identifying the league and clubs is protected nominative fair use.

THE TAKEAWAY

The case puts sports branding and descriptive use into direct conflict. The court will be asked to distinguish between using a mark to identify the subject of a market and using it in a way that suggests an official relationship.

Source: Sportico

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