Elon University has filed a federal lawsuit against a Washington-based online apparel seller, alleging that it is infringing on its trademarks. After the suit was filed by Elon on Feb. 11, the company began the process of winding down operations on Feb. 13, according to articles of dissolution filed with the Washington Secretary of State.
Sportswear Inc., also known as Prep Sportswear, uses Elon’s registered trademarks without permission by selling clothing with Elon’s trademarks, according to the lawsuit. Some of these trademarks date back to 1921, such as the “E” logo. Sportswear’s online retail store sells apparel and other goods featuring the marks of different sports teams and academic institutions. Its website included a page for clothing with Elon logos, but as of Feb. 15, the Elon-specific page is no longer accessible.
Sportswear did not respond to Elon News Network’s request for comment. Elon University spokesperson Eric Townsend said that Elon University does not comment on pending litigation to which it is a party.
The lawsuit comes after multiple requests to stop selling the clothing, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit claims that the Collegiate Licensing Company, on behalf of the university, sent a letter in December 2024 to Sportswear, demanding that it stop selling products with Elon trademarks. In November 2025, Elon’s attorneys sent a similar letter, but both letters didn’t receive a response, according to the suit.
As a result of Sportswear's sale of Elon-related products, the lawsuit claims that Sportswear is causing financial harm to Elon by depriving it of revenue. It also claims that it is causing reputational harm due to the poor quality of Sportswear’s products. According to the lawsuit, consumers have reported complaints about the quality of Sportswear’s goods on sites such as Yelp and Facebook.
The lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, alleges that Sportswear is violating the Lanham Act, North Carolina common law, and North Carolina’s unfair and deceptive trade practices statute.