Australian tennis player sued by Kellogg’s over ‘Special K’ nickname

Kelloggs introduced the product in Australia 59 years ago.

Thanasi Kokkinakis’s name is a bit of a mouthful, so you can forgive him for going by a nickname. The player known as “Special K” is being sued by Kellogg’s, though, because he is attempting to use the nickname commercially. 

Kokkinakis intends to use the nickname on a clothing line but Kellogg’s has moved to block those plans on the grounds that it owns the Australian trademark to “Special K” after introducing the cereal in Australia in 1959. 

“The Kokkinakis Company has applied to register Special K as a trademark and we are defending our trademark,” a spokesperson for the cereal company told the BBC. 

Kokkinakis, 21, made his professional debut in 2013 but has been hampered by injuries since 2015. His appearance at this year’s French Open was his first Grand Slam since the 2015 U.S. Open. He was defeated in the first round by Kei Nishikori. 

A hearing in the case was held Thursday in Australia and the parties will meet in mediation in late August.