The 3D Energy drink lawsuit was a 2017 trademark infringement case brought by Uptime Sports Nutrition Inc. and Uptime Energy Inc. against Christian Guzman’s original brand, then called “Up Energy.” The suit forced Guzman to rebrand the product as 3D Energy in August 2018, and while the settlement terms were not made public, Guzman has said the litigation cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The Uptime Trademark Suit
Guzman launched Up Energy in 2017. Almost immediately, Uptime Sports Nutrition Inc. and Uptime Energy Inc. sued in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, alleging that “Up Energy” was confusingly similar to their established mark. The complaint sought actual damages, profits, punitive damages, and legal fees.1Stack3d. Up Energy Drink Lawsuit
In December 2017, the court approved a preliminary injunction against Guzman’s brand.2Leagle. Uptime Sports Nutrition Inc. v. Up Energy Drink LLC The case was terminated on March 27, 2018. The settlement terms were not made public.3CourtListener. Uptime Sports Nutrition Inc. v. Up Energy Drink LLC, Parties By Guzman’s own account, the fight cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars.4Gymfluencers. 3D Energy Drink Owner Christian Guzman
The Rebrand to 3D Energy
The drink returned to shelves in August 2018 as 3D Energy. The formula was unchanged, including its 200mg of caffeine, and the cans kept a similar visual design with “3D” replacing “UP.” A fourth flavor was added at the rebrand, initially sold exclusively at 7-Eleven.5Stack3d. 3D Energy
The Later Ownership Dispute
A separate conflict, sometimes confused with the trademark case, played out years later and never became a filed lawsuit. After the rebrand, 3D Energy was owned 60% by Guzman and 20% each by two partners who were separately building Alani Nu and its parent company, Congo Brands.6Stack3d. Christian Guzman 3D Energy Tell All
The relationship broke in 2020 after GHOST Lifestyle, a supplement company that had sponsored Guzman since 2015, launched its own energy drink. His partners viewed the continued GHOST affiliation as a conflict of interest; Guzman disagreed and refused to end the sponsorship.4Gymfluencers. 3D Energy Drink Owner Christian Guzman Tensions worsened when those same partners, through Congo Brands, co-launched PRIME Energy with Logan Paul and KSI. Guzman said PRIME used “3D’s DNA” and called it the “final nail in the coffin” for the partnership.6Stack3d. Christian Guzman 3D Energy Tell All
No formal lawsuit was filed, but legal representatives negotiated for roughly two years over three possible outcomes: selling the brand and splitting the proceeds by equity share, liquidating it entirely, or transferring full ownership to Guzman with a transitional support period. The parties chose the third option. Guzman became the sole owner, and Congo Brands agreed to provide nine months of transitional operational support.4Gymfluencers. 3D Energy Drink Owner Christian Guzman
Where the Brand Stands Now
Guzman brought on Dom Iacovone, Chris Bumstead, and Matt Thompson of Raw Nutrition as new partners, and ended his GHOST sponsorship on amicable terms.7Gymfluencers. Dom Iacovone 3D Energy Drinks Comeback8Gymfluencers. Did Christian Guzman Leave GHOST 3D Energy relaunched in May 2025 with a reformulated recipe that removed artificial colors, new can designs, and a mix of reworked originals and new flavors.9Gymfluencers. Sam Sulek Joins 3D Energy Drinks