James Bond in fight to keep hold of 007 super spy’s name

Dubai-based property developer is challenging trademark registrations, including the saying ‘Bond, James Bond’

Daniel Craig attends a special event in London to celebrate 60 Years of James Bond: The trademark protection of multiple versions of the super spy’s name are subject to the challenge, including: James Bond Special Agent 007, James Bond 007, James Bond, James Bond: World of Espionage and the famous 'Bond, James Bond' saying.

The owners of the multibillion-pound James Bond franchise are embroiled in a fight to keep control of the super spy’s name, after a Dubai-based property developer filed claims in Europe and Britain that they are not using the trademark across a range of goods and services.

Austrian businessman Josef Kleindienst, who is building a $5bn luxury resort complex called the Heart of Europe on six human-made islands just off the coast of Dubai, has filed a slew of what are known officially as “cancellation actions based on non-use” targeting the James Bond name.

Under UK and EU law, if a name is trademarked against certain goods and services but the owner does not commercially exploit it in these areas for a period of at least five years, then a challenge to revoke ownership of the name can be made.

“He is challenging a number of UK and EU trademark registrations for James Bond,” said Mark Caddle, a partner and patent attorney at European intellectual property firm Withers & Rogers. 

“The basis of the EU filings is that James Bond has not been used for the goods and services it protects, and that is likely to be the same basis of the filings in the UK.”

The trademark protection of multiple versions of the super spy’s name are subject to the challenge, including: James Bond Special Agent 007, James Bond 007, James Bond, James Bond: World of Espionage and the famous “Bond, James Bond” saying.

The challenge is against the failure to use the James Bond name across a broad range of “classes” of goods and services. These include “models of vehicles”, “computer programmes and electronic comic books”, “electronic publishing” and design, encompassing uses such as restaurants, cocktail lounge services and accommodation.

The claims were made by Mr Kleindienst, founder of the Kleindienst Group, which claims to be the largest European property developer in the United Arab Emirates.

A spokesperson for Mr Kleindienst confirmed the businessman had plans to utilise the Bond name if he wins his challenge, and that an “announcement is coming soon”.

The EU cancellation actions were filed on January 27. While no date is provided for the timing of the filing of the UK actions, they are also likely to have been made recently as the cases are listed as “awaiting defence”.

The James Bond trademarks are officially registered to US-based company Danjaq, which controls the rights to worldwide traditional James Bond merchandising in conjunction with Eon.

Eon, the UK-based production company responsible for turning Ian Fleming’s James Bond into one of the most successful film franchises in history, is run by Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson, who are fiercely protective of the intellectual property rights associated with 007.

Danjaq also co-owns the copyright to the existing James Bond films, along with MGM Studios, which was acquired by Amazon for $8.5bn in 2021 — the same year the last outing of the franchise, No Time to Die, hit cinemas.

The Guardian