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Interesting... It is definitely trademark infringement (unless licensed by Rolex) which is both unlawful (civil lawsuit) and illegal (crime), but... It is also a walking billboard advertising Rolex. If Rolex is in the market of selling t-shirts, then they would pursue IP pirates without question. But what about IP pirates who are making a product that increases brand awareness without making a knockoff? Interesting. Rolex did sue a deli in NYC for using the name Rolex in the deli's name. My guess is that Rolex would sue these guys because if they don't protect their intellectual property and let things like this slide, then they may have a tougher time in convincing courts and law enforcement in the future that they have not allowed the trademark to become diluted. It remains a crime and a violation of tort law (Lanham Act), however, but still an interesting subject.
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