The British government’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has recently rejected Liverpool Football Club’s controversial bid to trademark the word ‘Liverpool’ due to the geographical significance of the city. The club’s Trademark Application for the word ‘Liverpool’ came to light around two months ago with its team and faculty members insisting that their attempt to register the mark was purely in the context of football services and products, and to stop the people who benefit from the sales of inauthentic products.
In spite of the club’s repeated insistence that all the revenue generated from the protected services and products would go into the reinvestment, like on transfers and the stadium – their trademark application sparked outrage within their followers, fans, outside supporters, and observers, including the Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson, who was strictly against this trademark move since the very beginning.
After accepting the decision taken by the IPO, the club stated that they would continue to pursue large-scale operations aggressively that seek to exploit their IP illegally and would also influence the relevant authorities to take legal action against such criminal activities.
The club’s chief executive officer, Peter Moore, said that the trademark application was put forward only in good faith with the sole purpose of protecting the best interests of the club along with its supporters. He also thanked all those who had engaged with them throughout the process, including the local football clubs and independent traders. Furthermore, he admitted the fact that they had underestimated the level of opposition they received from the independent traders in the city and Liverpool City Council (LCC). In the end, he said that they had felt obliged to protect the club and had even looked at similar situations where the clubs have trademarked their place names in the context of football.
Joe Anderson, in his tweet, said that Liverpool Football Club is a global brand that plays a significant role in showcasing their city around the world. He also stated that he shares a strong relationship with Peter and his team and the club’s importance to the future of their city is without question.