Home | Business News | Browse by Publication | M | Mondaq Business Briefing

The Gunners Hit Back: Arsenal Football Club Plc -v- Matthew Reed.

Publication: Mondaq Business Briefing
Publication Date: 12-JUN-03 		Format: Online - approximately 1269 words
Delivery: Immediate Online Access
Full Article Title: The Gunners Hit Back: Arsenal Football Club Plc -v- Matthew Reed.(discusses trademark infringement case)

Article Excerpt
Arsenal Football Club Plc -v- Matthew Reed

Court of Appeal (Aldous, Clarke & Jonathan Parker, LJ)

[2003] ECWA Civ 96

Summary

Have Arsenal Football Club finally won their match against Matthew Reed, seller of unauthorised Arsenal merchandise, in the second half of extra time? The Court of Appeal has reversed the decision of Laddie J. (see Hot Topics for December 2002) that Reed had not infringed the trade marks, despite a ruling by the ECJ which appeared to have resolved the dispute in favour of AFC.

Background

AFC sued Reed for trade mark infringement and passing off because he was selling unauthorised merchandise bearing the AFC trade marks. At first instance, Laddie J. held as a fact that Reed was not using the marks to indicate the origin of the goods he sold, indeed Reed always told customers they were not AFC goods. Laddie J. held that Reed was using the marks as a badge of support, loyalty or affiliation.

Laddie J. had concluded that using the signs as a badge of loyalty was not a "trade mark use" because it did not indicate a trade connection between the...

View this article FREE - Now for a Limited Time, try Goliath Business News
Free for 3 Days!



More articles from Mondaq Business Briefing
Registration of Ships in the Cayman Islands., June 12, 2003
Competition Comment.(European developments), June 12, 2003
Cayman Islands Trusts., June 12, 2003
Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP Advises TradingSports Exchange Systems pl..., June 12, 2003

Looking for additional articles?
Search our database of over 3 million articles.

Looking for more in-depth information on this industry?
Search our complete database of Industry & Market reports by text, subject, publication name or publication date.

About Goliath
Whether you're looking for sales prospects, competitive information, company analysis or best practices in managing your organization, Goliath can help you meet your business needs.

Our extensive business information databases empower business professionals with both the breadth and depth of credible, authoritative information they need to support their business goals. Whether it be strategic planning, sales prospecting, company research or defining management best practices - Goliath is your leading source for accurate information.