Lewis Hamilton’s marketing company sued the Hamilton Watch Company for its name. At the same time, the Swiss company was founded in 1892. The European Intellectual Property Office did not recognize the claims of the Formula 1 champion after three years of scramble.
Although Lewis Hamilton equalized Michael Schumacher’s phenomenal record with his seventh Formula 1 World Champion last weekend, he also suffered a major legal defeat in the scramble for the well-known Hamilton.
The Swiss company Hamilton Watch Company is the successor of the American watch manufacturer founded in Lancaster as early as 1892. Part of the Swatch concern got into legal scramble with a Mercedes pilot three years ago. Lewis Hamilton wanted to prevent her from registering her name as a trademark for the whole of Europe.
The European Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has now definitively swept the champion’s attempt to usurp the name Hamilton just for himself. He said the 35-year-old had no “natural rights” to the name the watch company had been using since the late 19th century.
“The contested mark relates only to the word Hamilton itself, not to Lewis Hamilton. The former is a fairly common surname in English-speaking countries. There is no natural right for a person to have his own name registered as a trade mark if this is contrary to the rights third parties, “is stated in the EUIPO decision.
The office’s finding also recalls that Hamilton watches were worn by a number of celebrities, including Elvis Presley, long before the current F1 champion was even born.
Three years ago, the trademark granted it to Hamilton watchmakers the exclusive rights to use the mark on watches and other accessories across the continent.
This prompted the Mercedes star lawyers, who manage Lewis Hamilton’s marketing rights through the Maltese company 44IP, to try to invalidate the Hamilton Watch Company’s request.
They claimed that it had been submitted in “bad faith”, that it had frustrated “fair competition” and was allegedly not even put into use at all. They did not succeed and, in addition, they have to reimburse the other party for the costs of £ 893 (more than CZK 26,000).
The Formula 1 driver himself, who is the advertising face of the watch company IWC Schaffhausen, did not comment on the case.
Elvis Presley s hodinkami Hamilton | Foto: Hamilton Watch Company
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