Court orders Haas F1 sponsor Rich Energy to reveal details of deal

The firm has also been told it cannot use its stag logo in the United Kingdom after July 18.

The court order follows the recent judgement in favour of ATB Sales Limited in its action against Rich Energy Limited, its boss William Storey and logo designer Staxoweb Limited.

ATB had successfully claimed that Rich's logo infringed the copyright of its Whyte Bikes logo.

The court order was made last Thursday by judge Melissa Clarke, but full details were only disclosed when it was released on Monday by the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court.

The defendants had requested permission to appeal the original decision at the Court of Appeal, but this has been refused.

They still have the option of asking the Court of Appeal itself for permission to appeal, but this has to be done by July 18. They had asked for a three-month stay, but were granted only three weeks.

By August 1 the defendants have to "deliver up or cause to be delivered up to the claimant's premises [...] or destroy or cause to be destroyed; or alter so as no longer to be infringing or cause such alteration; all infringing copies, and any articles specifically designed or adapted for making infringing copies, in their possession or control in the UK."

The defendants have to pay ATB's costs of £35,416 by July 13, while damages for copyright infringement will be assessed at a later hearing that will consider "profits accruing to the defendants of their infringement of the claimant's copyright".

In relation to that Storey (pictured below) has to provide information will provide some clarity about Rich Energy's financial situation, including its relationship with Haas.

By August 1 Rich Energy and Storey must confirm "total UK and global sales" of Rich drink cans bearing the stag logo "and the total sums received from such sales" plus "total UK and global sales to date of any other products" bearing the logo and "total sums received from such sales" plus "an estimate of the costs incurred in making such sales, and an explanation of how that estimate was reached".

They have also been ordered to provide:

"Figures showing: Any sums of money invested in or made available to the First Defendant [Rich], including for the avoidance of doubt sums invested in or made available to the First Defendant in connection with its sponsorship of the Haas F1 Team;

"Any sums of money invested by third parties in any other company or entity controlled by the Second Defendant [Storey] in connection with and/or pursuant to the First Defendant's sponsorship of the Haas F1 Team;

"Full details of any sums of money paid or payable to the Haas F1 Team pursuant to the First Defendant's sponsorship of the Haas F1 Team, indicating in each case whether such sums were paid or payable by the First Defendant or by any other entity;

"An estimate of the proportion of the £50,000 paid to the Third Defendant [Staxoweb] to produce, inter alia, a logo for the First Defendant which is attributable to the work of designing of a logo as part of that commission, and an explanation of how that estimate was reached."

It remains to be seen whether the July 18 deadline gives Rich Energy a window in which to use the stag logo at the upcoming British GP.

The team has not used it, at Rich's request, since the Canadian GP last month.

A Haas spokesperson said the team had no comment to make on the latest developments when asked by Autosport.