F1 Sues Las Vegas Gift Shop

• Formula 1 is suing Bonanza Gift Shop, while advertises itself as “the world’s largest” for selling phony Las Vegas Grand Prix merch 
• It seeks $1 million in reputational damage

Not all the Formula 1 lawsuits in Vegas are filed by small businesses against the Euro-centric speed spectacle. Some go the other way around.

The corporation behind the Las Vegas Grand Prix recently filed a complaint against Bonanza Gift Shop and sister store, Crazy Ely, for peddling counterfeit F1 merch during the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix in 2023.

The accusations are trademark counterfeiting, trademark infringement and unfair competition.

Bonanza is the self-proclaimed “world’s largest gift shop” just south of the Strat. (We’re currently in the process of verifying its claim for a potential “Vegas Myths Busted” column.)

Peddle to the Metal

During the 2023 race, F1 sent investigators to both shops. They were able to seize 69 bootleg F1 items from Crazy Ely. However, according to F1, by the time they arrived at Bonanza a half mile away, there were no counterfeits to seize, only empty shelves where they likely would have been displayed.

F1 alleges that Bonanza had been warned by the other store to clear its shelves immediately (which hopefully is a lesson learned about how to conduct proper trademark investigations).

F1 alleges that 2,400 counterfeits were sold by the two shops between June and November 2023, and that they continue to be sold. Claiming that it has suffered “irreparable injury” to its reputation, it seeks a jury trial and potential damages of up to $1 million.

In connection to this case, F1 also filed suit in May against E&B Wholesalers, which the motorsports company claimed manufactured and supplied the bootlegs to the two gift shops (and two others).