Kellogg’s is getting testy over Oz player’s nickname

KELLOGG faced off with Australian tennis player Thanasi Kokkinakis in court yesterday, with the cereal giant accusing the sportsman nicknamed “Special K” of using its intellectual property for commercial purposes.

The US-listed firm wants to stop the 21-year-old from using its trademarked product name as a moniker in advertisements for tennis clothing, a spokesperson said.

The matter had its first hearing in the Federal Court of the city of Adelaide, Kokkinakis’s hometown, yesterday, according to court filings.

The tennis player’s official Twitter account yesterday published a crying laughter image with no words.

Kellogg, which dominates the Australian cereal market, promotes Special K as a healthy, low-fat, low-sugar breakfast, often featuring physical activity in its advertisements.

“His association (with the brand) could help, but at the end of the day it’s a trademark that we own and we want to continue to own,” said the Kellogg spokesperson yesterday, referring to Kokkinakis.

The Davis Cup player reached his highest world ranking of 69 as a teenager in 2015 before a series of injuries sidelined him for the best part of 18 months. He made his singles return in Bordeaux last month. – Reuters