From royal hatters to top tailors: James Bond lawyers line up trademark fight team | James Bond

King Charles’s private shirtmaker. The world’s oldest hatters, who designed fitments for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation crown and boast followers together with Winston Churchill. A luxurious sports activities model with a “spy-ready” ski-suit.Has James Bond assembled a crack staff that may efficiently tackle his newest adversary?Attorneys representing Danjaq, the US firm that controls the rights to worldwide James Bond merchandising along side the UK firm Eon Productions, have filed proof working to 227 pages because it battles to retain management of the superspy’s identify throughout Europe.In February, the Guardian revealed {that a} Dubai-based property developer had filed claims within the UK and EU arguing that lack of use meant varied protections had lapsed round James Bond’s mental property, together with his identify, his 007 assignation and the catchphrase “Bond, James Bond”.Almost all 9 of the logos being challenged relate to the merchandising of products and providers below the Bond identify, which might be challenged after 5 years of “non-use”.Josef Kleindienst, an Austrian who’s constructing a $5bn (£3.7bn) luxurious resort advanced known as the Coronary heart of Europe on six synthetic islands off Dubai, has argued that the logos have been commercially underexploited.Boehmert & Boehmert, one of many largest mental property (IP) regulation corporations in Europe, representing Danjaq, has hit again, submitting proof to the European trademark workplace from a who’s who of high-end companions nonetheless utilizing the Bond identify.The submitting begins with the 140-year-old Jermyn Avenue tailor, Turnbull & Asser, which describes itself because the “definitive British shirtmaker” and created shirts for Sean Connery within the first Bond movie, 1962’s Dr No, persevering with to take action since for Bond actors together with Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig.The agency is the non-public shirtmaker to the king, who bestowed the corporate together with his first royal warrant when, because the Prince of Wales, he was given the ability to take action in 1980.Lock & Co Hatters in London’s St James’s Avenue, which has existed since 1676, options within the proof file. {Photograph}: Alicia Canter/The GuardianTurnbull & Asser created the shirt Charles wore on his coronation day in 2023, and a 12 months later he renewed its royal warrant.The proof file additionally options Lock & Co, the world’s oldest hatters with roots relationship to 1676, whose heritage contains being answerable for becoming out first world battle troopers of their now acquainted “Mark 1” tin helmets earlier than being deployed abroad.The corporate, based mostly in London’s St James’s Avenue, began its Bond relationship with one in all its hats showing within the now well-known opening credit score gun barrel scene in 1960’s Dr No.Lock & Co was additionally behind henchman Odd Job’s well-known deadly Coker, or bowler hat, in 1964’s Goldfinger.Bond followers will pay £537 for the James felt trilby, Dr No version whereas ladies may take to the £662 Vesper, initially created for Eva Inexperienced to put on as Vesper Lynd in 2006’s On line casino Royale.“In instances similar to this the model proprietor ought to reply by offering a sturdy bundle of proof, assuming they’re able to achieve this,” stated Mark Caddle, associate and trademark lawyer on the European IP agency Withers & Rogers. “Business use is usually proven by gross sales figures and a number of invoices to help them, in addition to by proof of selling and communications exercise, similar to brochures, internet advertising, bodily promoting and social media posts.”Business data has additionally been offered for the posh sports activities way of life model Bogner.Willy Bogner Jr, who took over working the corporate based by his father in 1932, has been credited for creating the world’s first motion snowboarding scenes for 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.He went on to create alpine scenes for Bond productions together with The Spy Who Liked Me, For Your Eyes Solely and A View to a Kill.Daniel Craig as James Bond in No Time to Die. Product data is offered by a luxurious vendor of No Time to Die fight trousers. {Photograph}: Pictorial Press/AlamyLast 12 months, the corporate launched its “spy-ready” ski vary – the Bognor X 007 assortment – with merchandise priced from $290 to $2,300 (about £205 to £1,700).There may be additionally product and industrial data from luxurious cashmere and equipment model N.Peal, based in 1936 with a flagship retailer in London’s Burlington arcade, which shares a contemporary tackle Bond, together with a pair of £245 No Time to Die fight trousers.Boehmert & Boehmert has known as the trademark motion an “unprecedented assault” on the multibillion-pound world franchise.“We are going to file proof of use for every trademark,” stated Rudolf Böckenholt, at Boehmert & Boehmert, in a defence submitting. “Contemplating the variety of items/providers at subject for every trademark, this will likely be a submission appreciable in size and dimension, together with quite a few attachments and displays.”Kleindienst has prolonged his try and attempt to take management of the spy’s varied manufacturers by additionally submitting his personal trademark for James Bond in Europe. He has not, nevertheless, achieved the identical within the UK.The developer has stated that he has launched the trademark motion as a result of he’s involved concerning the industrial way forward for the spy franchise, arguing that Bond “won’t die” on his watch.Daniel Craig’s final outing as 007, in No Time to Die, was launched in 2021. With no announcement but of his alternative or timeline for manufacturing of the subsequent movie, the franchise is on monitor to beat the earlier longest hole between instalments of six years and 4 months.Danjaq additionally co-owns the copyright to the present Bond movies, together with MGM Studios, which was acquired by Amazon for $8.5bn in 2021. Days after the report of Kleindienst’s authorized challenges, it emerged that Amazon had paid greater than $1bn to achieve full “inventive management” of the franchise from Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson, the longtime stewards of the Bond movies.With inventive management, Amazon now has the ability to maneuver ahead with new movies and probably TV spin-offs, with out approval from the 2 British-American heirs to the movie producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, who had overseen the integrity of the character initially created in 1953 by the writer Ian Fleming.Denis Villeneuve, the person behind the Dune franchise, is directing the subsequent Bond movie. And Steven Knight, who’s the co-creator of the gameshow Who Desires to Be a Millionaire? and penned Peaky Blinders, has reportedly been introduced on board to jot down the subsequent 007 outing.In March, Amazon confirmed that Amy Pascal and David Heyman would produce the movie, though no launch date or lead actor has but been named. Pascal has expertise with the Bond sequence in her earlier place as Sony’s chair of movie, overseeing On line casino Royale, Quantum of Solace and Skyfall. She additionally had producer credit on the most recent Spider-Man sequence.Heyman is finest often called the producer of the Harry Potter movies in addition to the Improbable Beasts franchise and is now in pre-production on the HBO TV sequence adaptation of the tales. He’s the second most commercially profitable movie producer of all time, with credit together with Gravity, Paddington, Barbie, Wonka and As soon as Upon a Time … in Hollywood.“We’ve the utmost respect for the legacy of James Bond,” stated Kleindienst in response to the most recent developments within the trademark case. “But we should acknowledge a easy fact: there are clear trademark and copyright legal guidelines, which exist to stop extended inactivity and make sure that cultural properties proceed to serve the audiences that worth them. Our objective is easy – to respect the legacy whereas guaranteeing that Bond stays related and accessible to all followers.” This text was amended on 17 August 2025 to appropriate the spelling of the model Bogner and of Willy Bogner Jr.