The New York Knicks have reportedly issued a cease-and-desist letter to New York Senate candidate Aber Kawas, who is backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, for unauthorized use of the team's logo in her campaign.
Promotional stickers created by Kawas' campaign reportedly featured the Knicks logo with the team's name replaced by "Kawas," accompanied by the slogan "I voted for Aber Kawas." The letter, obtained by the New York Post, demands that the campaign "immediately remove all promotional materials incorporating Knicks Intellectual Property... and cease any further use of Knicks Intellectual Property."
Brian N. Warner, senior vice president and head of legal for Madison Square Garden Sports, stated in the letter that neither the Knicks nor NBA Properties have authorized the campaign to use their intellectual property. Warner indicated that the unauthorized advertisements are likely to mislead the public into believing the campaign is affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by the Knicks. The letter further asserts that the campaign's actions constitute trademark infringement, trademark dilution, false advertising, false association, and unfair competition.
This is not the first instance of a political campaign facing such action from the Knicks over logo usage. Last year, Mayor Zohran Mamdani's mayoral campaign used the Knicks logo in a similar manner. Mamdani received a cease-and-desist letter at that time, and the Knicks clarified they were not endorsing any candidate in the race, which Mamdani ultimately won.
In a separate incident following Mamdani's mayoral victory, the White House reportedly used the Knicks logo in a post. The Knicks subsequently contacted the White House, leading to the removal of the post.
Kawas, who is the Democratic nominee for New York's Senate District 12, is described as the daughter of immigrants and a socialist. She has recently faced scrutiny for her comments regarding the 9/11 attacks, stating that the attacks were carried out by "a couple of people" and that Muslim Americans should not be expected to apologize for them.
Kawas defended her remarks, telling Fox News Digital that she has been outspoken against the scapegoating of Muslim Americans and was addressing the harmful notion that Muslims should apologize for acts of violence they were not involved in. She is also noted for her work as the Youth Activities Director for the Arab-American Association of New York and has been involved in protests concerning issues such as rent freezes.