Even those who don’t watch MrBeast have heard of the YouTube star. As of August 2025, he had 422 million subscribers on the video platform. Unfortunately, such fame often brings additional scrutiny. That scrutiny has landed the popular influencer in hot water, as he now faces a lawsuit over The Beast trademark.

Russell Brands – the company that owns Spalding – filed a trademark lawsuit on August 12, 2025. However, this isn’t where the legal battle began. Apparently, this fight has been going on behind the scenes since last year. And while MrBeast may have hundreds of millions of adoring fans, that may not be enough to protect him.

MrBeast Sued Over The Beast Trademark

MrBeast is no rookie to the intellectual property world. He’s owned the trademark registration to his screen name since 2019. One might think this would protect him when manufacturing products featuring The Beast. However, it appears he may have infringed on a preexisting trademark when he released basketballs featuring the moniker.

In its filing, Russell Brands claims that its Spalding company has owned the trademark for The Beast since 2002. This didn’t stop MrBeast from selling a basketball with “BEAST” emblazoned across the front – a product similar to a Spalding release. Prior conversations between the two companies would indicate that the issue was resolved, but the lawsuit shows that problems persist.

In fact, Russell Brands claims that MrBeast promised to discontinue sales of the product in question after receiving two cease and desist letters. While the YouTuber’s brand does seem to have taken steps towards resolution, it does not appear to be enough for Spalding’s parent company.

Why Was the Issue Not Resolved?

Whether MrBeast infringed The Beast trademark may be a question for the courts to decide. While the influencer could claim that consumers are unlikely to be confused, his actions could be seen as an acknowledgement of infringement.

As of August 13, 2025, the MrBeast basketball is no longer for sale. However, the listing on both Amazon and his store’s non-indexed pages remained. This seems to be the crux of the lawsuit. Russell Brands claims that MrBeast representatives said the basketball and related sporting goods featuring “MrBeast,” “The Beast,” and “Beast” would no longer be sold by May.

However, the listings for the products remained – although apparently not for sale. The lawsuit further claims that no settlement has been reached between the two regarding prior sales of the products. Because of these issues, Russell Brands is seeking monetary damages in addition to a trademark injunction preventing further sales.

What Happens Next?

If Russell Brands owns The Beast trademark for basketballs, they have the exclusive right to use it or license its use. This doesn’t mean that Russell Brands owns the word “beast.” Rather, it means it’s the only business that can use “The Beast” in relation to certain products and services. Put simply, they have the right to prevent any likelihood of confusion.

If consumers could misidentify the source of a product, then potential confusion might exist. It’s easy to understand the underlying legal claim. After all, it wouldn’t be difficult to confuse sporting equipment featuring the word “Beast” with The Beast trademark – which is specifically categorized as being used for sports equipment.

Although MrBeast has taken actions to avoid legal issues, it will be interesting to see if the influencer is willing to roll over and pay damages. If he chooses to fight the lawsuit, we’ll have to await a judge’s decision. However, this could all be over relatively quickly if the two parties reach a settlement. Who knows? Maybe this will be the subject of MrBeast’s next viral video.