Washington ( CNN ) -- A private marketing firm has been temporarily blocked from using President Obama 's familiar `` Rising Sun '' campaign logo , after the Obama campaign committee filed a trademark infringement lawsuit . Federal Judge Emmet Sullivan has issued a preliminary injunction , preventing Washington-based DemStore.com from selling a variety of merchandise -- hats , buttons , balloons and T-shirts -- with the red-and-blue image , without the permission of Obama for America , the president 's re-election campaign . In his three-page order , the judge said that for now , the company can not use the trademark or `` confusingly similar '' images in its products , including `` engaging in any course of conduct with respect to the 2008 Rising Sun Trademark that is likely to mislead the public into believing that the products marketed and/or offered for sale by defendants are , sponsored , authorized , or otherwise approved by '' the Obama campaign . Re-election officials filed suit on June 1 , and a preliminary hearing was held Monday . Further hearings are scheduled later this month . Obama officials said the issue was time-sensitive , since this kind of merchandise is typically sold in the six months leading up to the November elections . The campaign itself sells its own merchandise through the store.barackobama.com website , including the logo that shows the letter `` O '' decorated with a blue half-circle and red stripes . The Obama team said people buying products through its official website also provide contact information , which the campaign can then use to solicit further monetary donations . `` Defendants are using the Rising Sun Trademarks on merchandise in a deliberate and willful attempt to draw on the goodwill and commercial magnetism of the Rising Sun Trademarks and the Obama Campaigns , '' lawyers for Obama said in federal court briefs . On Tuesday , the DemStore.com website still featured products with the `` Rising Sun '' image , including a `` Veterans for Obama '' button listed as a `` top seller . '' The parent company Washington Promotions & Printing has been retailing material supporting Democratic candidates since 1985 . The company denies any wrongdoing , arguing in court filings that the Obama campaign had known of the alleged trademark infringement since 2007 and can not now claim `` immediate harm '' from continued use of the logo by private companies . Washington Promotions & Printing suggested that a federal political campaign logo would be in the public domain , not subject to trademark restrictions . The case is Obama for America v. DemStore.com , Inc. ( 12-cv-889 ) . Political logos define campaigns .
Campaign has filed trademark infringement lawsuit over use of ` ` Rising Sun '' logo . Judge says website ca n't sell merchandise with the image without campaign 's permission . He says company ca n't trick public into believing its products are endorsed by campaign . Company says campaign ca n't claim ` ` immediate harm , '' suggests logo is in public domain .