Manchester City face a High Court claim from fashion brand Superdry over an alleged copyright infringement on their training kit.
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City face High Court trademark infringement caseSuperdry seeking injunctionFashion brand says Asahi sponsor is too similarWHAT HAPPENED?
In the summer, City announced that the name of beer manufacturer Asahi Super "Dry" would feature on both men's and women's training gear, as well as the alcohol-free version of the brand, Asahi Super "Dry" 0.0%. As reported by , clothing giants Superdry are claiming that both are too similar to their name, and are therefore seeking costs. In December they lodged a request for an injunction to restrain City from using the term.
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Superdry are arguing that "the differences between Super ‘Dry’ and Superdry are so insignificant that they may go unnoticed by the average consumer."
Philip Roberts KC, acting for Fox Williams LLP on behalf of Superdry, said that the sponsored kits are "identical with or similar to the mark for which the Superdry Registrations are registered, in circumstances liable to give rise to a likelihood of confusion on the part of the public."
City have not yet publicly commented on the matter.
Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Should the injunction sought by Superdry be granted by the High Court, then City will have to destroy or modify all goods or items that would constitute a breach of the injunction.
This is the latest court battle City have been faced with. The treble winners successfully had their European ban overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2020, but the financial charges the Premier League brought against the club last year could take years to resolve.
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR CITY?
Pep Guardiola and his players are used to dealing with off-field distractions, so they will no doubt be fully focused on the visit of Huddersfield Town to the Etihad Stadium in the FA Cup third round on Sunday. The following weekend they face a trip to Newcastle in the Premier League.