Manchester United suing Sega and Sports Interactive over alleged trademark infringement
As reported by The Guardian, Manchester United are suing the makers of popular video game Football Manager over the use of their name extensively throughout the game.
The Red Devils have argued that their trademark has been infringed by the use of their name in the title.
Furthermore, the Old Trafford side argue that by not using their logo in conjunction with their name, they are depriving “the registered proprietor of its right to have the club crest licensed.” (h/t The Guardian)
In a preliminary remote hearing, United argued that the money made from licensing was “very significant,” and that, using an incorrect version of the logo next to the name of the club was considered wrongful use. (h/t The Guardian)
In response to Manchester United’s claims, Sega and Sports Interactive have said the use of the club name is “a legitimate reference to the Manchester United football team in a football context.” (h/t The Guardian)
They further added that Manchester United’s name is being used in the game since 1992, when it was still called Championship Manager. But Manchester United had never raised a complaint over the usage of their name till date. (h/t The Guardian)
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The defendants also argued that a number of staff and players have received copies of the game for a number of years, but have never raised any concern of trademark infringement. (h/t The Guardian)
They also insisted that Manchester United had used the game in order to scout footballers in the past. (h/t The Guardian)
Mr Justice Morgan, who is presiding over the case, reserved his judgement to a later date. (h/t The Guardian)
