Mad Dogg Athletics And Zumba Fitness Announce Joint Enforcement Efforts To Combat Counterfeiting In Mexico

USA - English

• Latin America - español

VENICE, Calif., April 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Mad Dogg Athletics, Inc. (MDA) and Zumba Fitness LLC (Zumba), leading providers of instructor-based fitness education, today announced their joint efforts to combat the counterfeiting of their world-famous brands offered under their Spinning® and Zumba® marks, respectively, by Spinning Racing Bike and Dance, based in Tamaulipas, Mexico. MDA and Zumba filed lawsuits on February 24, 2012 as follows: Mad Dogg Athletics, Inc. vs. Consuelo Del Carmen Sanchez Gaona, before the Instituto Mexicano De La Propiedad Industrial, Case No. P.C. 346/2012 (I-51) 3296. Zumba Fitness LLC vs. Consuelo Del Carmen Sanchez Gaona, before the Instituto Mexicano De La Propiedad Industrial, Case No. 345/2012 (I-50) 3295.

"MDA is committed to providing authorized fitness facilities, Spinning® instructors and Spinning® program participants with the exceptional programming and best-in-class products that have made the Spinning® program one of the most successful group exercise programs in history," states MDA CEO John Baudhuin. "Vigorously enforcing our trademarks is critical to ensuring that our customers receive the exceptional quality they have come to expect from us since the Spinning® program originated 20 years ago."

MDA and Zumba systematically enforce their rights through cease-and-desist letters and public awareness initiatives including advertisements, direct mailings, fitness club displays and events including the annual Zumba® Instructor Convention and the annual World Spinning® and Sports Conference.

"Millions of Zumba® participants in the United States and internationally know the health and fitness benefits of our unique programs and products," says Alberto Perlman, CEO of Zumba. "Unfortunately, Zumba's popularity has led to widespread, unauthorized promoters and instructors who are not only acting illegally but endangering the safety of consumers. We take our responsibilities to Zumba® enthusiasts and our licensed instructors very seriously and are intent on pursuing whatever legal actions are needed to protect them."

"Similarly, businesses offering indoor cycling instruction or products are encouraged to contact MDA to ensure that use of any Spinning® related trademarks is consistent with MDA's rights. Our goal is to promote proper identification of authorized and certified instructors to ensure the best possible fitness experience," states John Baudhuin. "We look forward to continuing to work cooperatively with Zumba to prevent the unauthorized use of our brands, and to combat piracy worldwide."

"It is important for intellectual property rights holders like Zumba and Madd Dogg to join together to protect their instructors from the unauthorized use of licensed rights," states Jason Buratti, Global Intellectual Property Counsel for Zumba. "We make every effort to educate unauthorized users of our intellectual property rights." Zumba reports having successfully educated over 10,000 unauthorized brand users since January 2011, with this being only the third lawsuit required to augment that education program.

About Mad Dogg Athletics, Inc.
Venice California-based Mad Dogg Athletics, Inc., creator of the Spinning® program, is the worldwide leader in indoor group cycling bikes, education and products. The company works closely with Star Trac on its patented line of commercial Spinner® bikes and develops Spinning® instructor education programs, Spinner® bikes for home use and a complete line of branded apparel and accessories. Through over 200,000 certified Spinning® instructors and 35,000 official Spinning® facilities in 80 countries, the Spinning® program has improved the health and fitness of millions worldwide. For more information about Mad Dogg Athletics and the Spinning® program, visit www.spinning.com.

Spin®, Spinning®, Spinner® and the Spinning logo are registered trademarks of Mad Dogg Athletics, Inc.

About Zumba Fitness, LLC
Zumba Fitness is a global lifestyle brand that fuses fitness, entertainment and culture into an exhilarating dance-party workout. Coined "fitness-parties," Zumba classes blend upbeat world rhythms with easy-to-follow choreography, which provide effective, total-body workouts. Founded in 2001, the company is now the largest branded fitness program in the world -- reporting more than 12 million weekly class participants, in over 110,000 locations, across more than 125 countries. In addition to its original Zumba® program, the company also offers a range of specialty classes, including Zumba Gold® (for active older adults), Zumba® Toning (body-sculpting class that uses maraca-like Toning Sticks), Aqua Zumba® (the ultimate "pool party" workout), Zumbatomic® (Zumba routines for kids), Zumba Sentao™ (chair-based Zumba class that strengthens, balances and stabilizes the core) and Zumba® in the Circuit (a 30-minute workout that combines signature Zumba® moves with circuit training at timed intervals). The Zumba® fitness lifestyle is rounded out by the company's many consumer product offerings, including DVD sets, music collections, multi-seasonal apparel and footwear, video games, Fitness-Concert™ events and a lifestyle magazine. For more information about Zumba Fitness programs and products, or to find a live class, visit zumba.com and find us on Facebook and Twitter.

Zumba®, Zumba Gold®, Aqua Zumba®, Zumbatomic® and Zumbawear® are registered trademarks of Zumba Fitness, LLC

SOURCE Mad Dogg Athletics