12/03/2026
An interesting trade mark dispute in the USA provides a salutary lesson on the importance of securing trade mark rights at the outset of a business venture.
Background and Parties
The dispute revolves around a number – 1587 – which carries significant meaning for both parties.
The first party in the dispute, 1587 Sneakers, Inc., was co-founded by Adam King and Sam Hyun to honour the year Filipino sailors first arrived in what is now the United States, the earliest recorded presence of Asian people in America. The brand launched in April 2023, achieved additional publicity with an appearance on Season 16 of Shark Tank in 2024, and has built a brand following rooted in AAPI heritage and cultural identity.
The other party in the dispute, 1587 Prime, is the business venture of two very well known sport celebrities – Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. Both play (American) football for the Kansas City Chiefs and are regarded as two of the best players ever to play in their respective positions. Both have huge profiles in the US, boosted further more recently by the announcement of Travis Kelce’s engagement to Taylor Swift. The number 1587 has direct relevance to them as it is a combination of their team numbers – 15 (Mahomes) and 87 (Kelce).
Dispute
The present dispute began when Mahomes and Kelce’s company, 1587 Prime Holdings, LLC, partnered with restaurant group, Noble 33, to open 1587 Prime, a 10,000-square-foot steakhouse inside the Loews Kansas City Hotel. The restaurant opened on 17 September 2025.
Following the opening, 1587 Sneakers, Inc. brought an action for trade mark infringement alleging that the actions of 1587 Prime in opening a restaurant under a highly similar trade mark was causing significant disruption to their business and requiring, among other remedies, an injunction against the restaurant continuing to trade while the dispute was heard.
Rights owned by the parties
There is no doubt that 1587 Sneakers, Inc. commenced trading in the US before the 1587 Prime restaurant opened. However, 1587 Sneakers only filed an application for their ‘1587’ trade mark on 30 October 2025, more than two years after they commenced trading and after they had appeared on a national television program. 1587 Prime Holdings, LLC., in contrast, filed their trade mark application on 23 August 2023, more than two years before they started trading and crucially, before 1587 Sneakers. While the US (like the UK) does recognise rights deriving from the use of a trade mark, these rights are geographically limited and generally much harder (and more expensive) to rely on in disputes of this nature.
Comment
It is possible to argue that this is a largely frivolous dispute given the different areas of commercial interest of the parties. However, there is potentially more of an overlap than would first appear, primarily because the 1587 Prime restaurant also sells branded clothing from its premises. It may also be possible for 1587 Sneakers to argue that there would be more of an overlap between the two companies’ offerings given the ‘sporting’ background to the 1587 Prime restaurant.
What is absolutely clear is that 1587 Sneakers’ position would be vastly improved had it filed its trade mark applications prior to commencing trading, in the same way as 1587 Prime did. The fact that 1587 Prime’s registered trade mark rights pre-date those of 1587 Sneakers will make the dispute far more of an uphill struggle for 1587 Sneakers, even though they began to use the 1587 mark more than two years before the 1587 Prime restaurant opened.
The important take away from this case (like many others) is that if a business is building a brand worth protecting, don’t delay for two and a half years before protecting it. Trade mark protection brings numerous advantages for all owners, and not just those involved in disputes.
This article is for general information only. Its content is not a statement of the law on any subject and does not constitute advice. Please contact Reddie & Grose LLP for advice before taking any action in reliance on it.
