The iconic and intrepid action heroJames Bondhas faced all manner of danger over the years…buthis biggest challenge yetcould play out in the courts. The beloved spy is now facing a bizarre claim against one of his most famous assets, his name, after a Dubai-based property developer filed claims in the UK and Europe that the owners of “James Bond” are “not using the trademark across a range of goods and services.” Which could mean that the company wins the rights to use 007’s famous name.
According to a report byThe Guardian, the trademark on “James Bond” is owned by US-based company Danjaq, controlling the rights to merchandising alongside Eon. Now, they are in a fight to keep the name safe after Austrian businessman Josef Kleindienst “filed a slew of what are known officially as ‘cancellation actions based on non-use’ targeting the James Bond name.” In the U.K. and EU, if a name is trademarked for merchandising but goes unused for a period of five years, a challenge to “revoke ownership,” and this use the name yourself, can be made.
It is not currently known what exactly Kleindienst plans to do with the name Bond, James Bond, should he win, but it’s likely to have something to do with the $5bn luxury resort complex he’s currently building off the coast of Dubai. According to the report, various versions of the Bond name could be up for grabs, including James Bond Special Agent 007, James Bond 007, James Bond, James Bond: World of Espionage, andeven the iconic “Bond, James Bond” catchphrase.
What’s in a Name? A Lot When That Name Is James Bond
Some idea of what the plan is should he win the name can be found in the challenge, with the claim stating that Danjaq has failed to use “James Bond” across various “classes of goods and services,” such as “models of vehicles, computer programmes and electronic comic books, electronic publishing and design, encompassing uses such as restaurants, cocktail lounge services and accommodation.” A spokesperson for Kleindienst has confirmed that, should he emerge victorious, “James Bond” would be used everywhere, with an announcement “coming soon.”
However, Mark Caddle, a partner and patent attorney at European intellectual property firm Withers & Rogers, is baffled by the legal challenge, saying, “[Kleindienst] appears to be a property developer based in Dubai so it is hard to know what he is up to with Bond in the UK and Europe. He must have some motive. He might be trying to clear the path for his own trademark application for Bond, that is the typical route, but he hasn’t lodged one as yet. In any case, Danjaq would certainly counter-challenge. James Bond is still well used and loved. I don’t think that route would be straightforward for him [even if he were to win].”
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Alongside Henry Cavill, another Zack Snyder staple has emerged as a serious contender for the role of 007.
This latest issue for 007 is just the latest in an ever-growing list. The hunt for the next actor to take on the role from Daniel Craig has beenrife with rumor and speculation, while there arereportedly issues behind the scenes, with Amazon hoping to turn James Bond into a franchise with all manner of spin-off movies and TV shows being part of their plan. Long-time producer Barbara Broccoli, though, is unhappy with this idea, with the producer reportedly branding Amazon “f***ing idiots."
No Time to Die
