Mewburn Ellis advised and represented a leading sportswear supplier in resolving a trade mark dispute, enabling registration of its new logo and safeguarding the evolution of its longstanding and well-regarded brand.
The client is a well-established supplier of premium teamwear to professional and grassroots clubs, with a strong presence across multiple sports. In early 2024, the business sought to register a modernised logo as part of its brand strategy.
An opposition was threatened by another company based on earlier registered rights for a similar logo, and the dispute escalated when the opponent filed both an opposition at the UK IPO and an infringement claim at the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (IPEC). We asserted the client’s prior unregistered rights and facilitated negotiations, leading to a ‘without prejudice’ meeting between the parties’ principals to explore settlement and coexistence. This resulted in the infringement claim being discontinued and, whilst the opposition proceedings continued, we assisted settlement discussions which ultimately agreed terms that delineated the parties’ interests.
Ultimately, a settlement agreement was executed, the opposition withdrawn, and the client’s new logo mark proceeded to grant. This resolution allowed the client to move forward confidently with its branding and product strategy, avoiding costly litigation and securing its IP rights.
The successful outcome demonstrated our ability to combine legal expertise with pragmatic negotiation, delivering a commercially critical result for a brand with a strong presence in professional and grassroots sport.
