Home / Arts and Entertainment / TV Chef's Whisky Trademark Hopes Poured Out
TV Chef's Whisky Trademark Hopes Poured Out
10 Jan
Summary
- James Martin lost a legal bid to trademark his name for drinks.
- Macdonald & Muir's existing 'James Martin's' whisky opposed the bid.
- Martin must pay £1,900 towards the whisky firm's legal costs.
Celebrity chef James Martin has been unsuccessful in his bid to register his name as a trademark for alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. The television presenter sought exclusive ownership of 'James Martin' and 'James Martin's' to expand his brand. However, Macdonald & Muir, the owner of a premium Scotch whisky bearing the name 'James Martin's', opposed the application.
The UK's Intellectual Property Office ruled that the trademarks could not be registered for drinks, stating that consumers would likely mistake one product for the other. This decision means the 53-year-old chef cannot proceed with his trademark plans and has been ordered to pay £1,900 towards the whisky company's costs.
The 'James Martin's' whisky is a 30-year-old blended malt that retails for over £300 a bottle and has been trademarked by Macdonald & Muir since 1998. The company successfully argued that a spirit launched by the TV star could lead to confusion, providing evidence of significant production and export of their product between 2017 and 2022.
