Trademark Clash: Kleindienst vs. James Bond Franchise

The owners of the James Bond franchise, Danjaq and Eon Productions, are involved in a legal dispute with Austrian businessman Josef Kleindienst, who has filed cancellation actions in the UK and Europe claiming that the James Bond trademark is not being commercially exploited across various goods and services for at least five years, potentially leading to revocation of ownership. The challenge targets several trademarks, including James Bond Special Agent 007, James Bond 007, and “Bond, James Bond,” focusing on diverse classes of goods and services such as models of vehicles, computer programmes, and restaurant services. The EU cancellation actions were filed on January 27, with the UK filings also listed as “awaiting defence.” Danjaq has two months to submit a defense and must prove that the James Bond name has been used in the challenged areas over the past five years. Danjaq co-owns the copyright to existing James Bond films with MGM Studios, which Amazon acquired for $8.5 billion in 2021. Kleindienst may be seeking to develop a trademark application for the Bond name as part of his $5 billion luxury resort project in Dubai, but Danjaq is expected to mount a strong counter-defensive. Additionally, the search for a new James Bond actor and future film developments continues amid these legal proceedings.

Source: THE GUARDIAN