Liverpool FC vs Liverpool City Council

LFC tries to snare Liverbird trademark
Nov 15 2008 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post


LIVERPOOL Football Club is seeking to trade mark the Liverbird – setting it on a collision course with the city council.

Last night the city council said it was taking urgent legal advice over the matter, but only has until next Saturday to register its opposition with the UK Intellectual Property Office.

Deputy council leader Cllr Flo Clucas last night hit out at the club’s American owners for attempting to “steal” the city’s iconic crest for commercial gain.

“The Liverbird belongs to the whole city: it cannot be bought and sold for private profit,” she said.

Liverpool FC defended the move saying that it was only seeking to trade mark its own version of the Liverbird because the club is losing a “substantial amount of money” each year due to counterfeit merchandise.

A spokesman for the club insisted LFC would not try to prevent the council or other bodies using the Liverbird logo.

However, there is disquiet at the council about pledges made by the club given the record of owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks and their broken promises relating to the new stadium and the debt that has been loaded on to the club by the pair.

The application made by Liverpool FC is for a wide-ranging trade mark that would cover uses on common metals, precious metals, paper and cardboard, leather or leather imitations, household or kitchen utensils and containers, and clothing.

It cost the club £450 to apply for the trademark, and will cost the council £200 if it wishes to make a formal objection.

Common reasons for opposing trade marks are that the mark is not unique to the applicant or that someone else owns the trade mark (which does not have to be registered itself) which is the same or similar.

Cllr Clucas said: “This is outrageous. The Liverbird belongs to all the people of Liverpool and not one company or organisation.

“This is a symbol of the city and is used not only by the council but also by hundreds of organisations, charities, voluntary groups and sports clubs.

“It would be wrong for them to be prevented or charged for using it in the future.

“We are taking urgent legal advice on the best steps we can take to ensure the Liverbird remains the proud emblem of the whole city and not the private property of one commercial company.”

“The Moores family would never have contemplated stealing the city’s iconic crest for commercial gain, and the present owners should think again before trampling over an important part of the Liverpool’s heritage.”

LFC already has trade marks on “This is Anfield” and the words “You’ll Never Walk Alone” above the club’s logo.

Last night, a spokesman for the club said: “What we are asking to do here is to register our version of the Liverbird. Our club crest has been registered for some time.”

He said counterfeiters used the Liverbird on its own with the words “Liverpool Football Club” beneath as a way round trade mark infringement.

“If you look at Liverpool City Council’s Liverbird and ours, they are markedly different – there’s no way you can confuse the two.”

He insisted that the club would not try to stop other organisations using their design of the Liverbird, say on the letterhead of businesses.

“Counterfeit goods cost the club a substantial amount of money each year.

“The Liverbird is part and parcel of the city we are not remotely going anywhere near that.”


http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2008/11/15/lfc-tries-to-snare-liverbird-trademark-64375-22262735/

It certainly would be wrong. 

It is indeed the symbol of the city, not just the football club.

I'm fairly sure Liverpool FC should be spending their time far more constructively than on this.

Heard more talk about this today. Flo Clucas was on Radio Merseyside this afternoon talking about it again. Still very much against it I'm glad to hear.

On this occasion I'm with the council all the way. And it's nothing to do with my hatred for the two cowboys, it's just essentially for the Liverbird being kept as it is. I don't think it's the kind of thing that should be trademarked in any way. It's primarily a symbol for the people of the city and nobody or no organisation should think they can boss their way through and take a common design for it as their own.

I have no problem with organisations trying to protect their business, but not when it jeopardises a symbol that relates to people in many ways. I can fully understand the councils concerns.

It once again boils down to greed.

One thing that worries me as a result of this whole notion is that we could possibly see a change to the Liverbird design in our crest. I wouldn't put it past the yanks to think of that one if they cant have their greedy way.

I'm fairly sure Liverpool FC should be spending their time far more constructively than on this.

Me too. One thing after another!!

One thing that worries me as a result of this whole notion is that we could possibly see a change to the Liverbird design in our crest. I wouldn't put it past the yanks to think of that one if they cant have their greedy way.

That's the first thing I thought.

It's a silly notion, they shouldn't even have considered it.

What a mess. We shouldn't even be discussin this. The Liver Bird is the symbol of the city Liverpool.

Sorry Yanks, but you're not gonna be able to do what you like in this city.

They never learn do they? Didn't they learn enough what can Liverpool fans become when they try to sack Parry and boss Rafa? Everyone can understand thier reason to postpone forever the stadium plan, people got mad but accepted the fact that they loaded thier debt on the club, but using such a symbol is unacceptable. They have done enough: argue all the time, try to sack our executive director and our boss, promise us a new stadium and then throw the plan away..., just stop making things, concentrate in bussiness to repay the debt. You can do whatever You want but don't touch the city symbol, It's not you toy!   

I can understand the logic behind what LFC are trying to achieve, however I don't recall Man United trying to trademark the symbol of the beast, and I'm sure they have/had bigger counterfeiting problems than us.

I don't know why the club continually try and alienate their fans, and in particular local supporters.

hopefully instances like this will just move Gillett and hicks ever closer to the exit. Not happy with having having pissed off every LFC supporter, the morons now seem to want to piss the rest of the city off as well. if the 2 of them are having to resort to this sort of thing to try and bring in money for the club what on earth are they doing here?? how bad must their finances actually be?

So then Dastardly and Mutley set out on a quest to steal the Liverbird from our great city and what does this achieve, well it increases the value of our club because they then have copyright on the Liverbird. I cant see it being a copyright issue on kits etc as these are clearly illegal anyway. Im not sure what exactly they have filed for copyright on but it could be that getting the liverbird on our badge is one step closer to getting  the Liverbird as a whole.

What ever it is you can be rest assured it wont be for our clubs good, just something else to line the pockets of Dick Dastardly and his sniveling hound Mutley

are they going to send stewards into the kop to remove all the flags and banners the fans have made because they have there trade mark Liverbird on ? The liverbird belongs to the city of Liverpool and hicks and gillett belong on the other side of the pound

When I saw the title of this thread for some reason an exhibition match was in order.

But surely this has to be a joke ..these greedy tw*ts continue to disrespect what Liverpool as a club and city stands for.

The Liverbirds were the symbol of the city before they were the symbol of Liverpool FC right ?

I dont see how they can trade mark it or whatever because its not like LFC came up with the design

Surley the Royal Liver Insurance company or whatever would have a say ? afterall they are the ones with the original design adorning thier building

Where are the grounds for a trade mark ? and what is even the point ? To stop a few cheap chinease knock offs?

Come on were Liverpool , the City and the Club always has and always should go hand in hand !

wot u expect with cowboys riding into town
lets take the club
now lets take the liverbird and make a buck or 2
time to ride them out of town