Bond IP already under threat
To show how bad an idea it is to leave an enormously profitable brand-name adrift and not do anything with it, EON's ownership of Bond related trademarks is being legally challenged.
https://gizmodo.com/james-bond-ownership-trademark-2000564623
Comments
I have never heard of this five year rule before, it seems fishy.
I have zero knowledge of UK and EU law, but Mr. Kleindienst might want to familiarize himself with "007: Road to a Million" which aired worldwide in 2023. But seriously, if a company is actively working on projects—even if that work consists of angry meetings with corporate execs—I don't see how you could claim they've let the Bond IP lay fallow for any Australian real estate agent to claim. I hope Eon countersues for court costs.
The podcast The Rest is Entertainment has tackled the latest Bond26 problems and the two presenters comment on the lengthening hiatus that we all complaint about.
The James Bond bit starts at 24 minutes. Marina Hyde, a Guardian.com columnist, is one of the presenters and she confirms the 5 year rule.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qqIBFSN_Oo&t=2529s
And also what about all the media that gets re-released such as this box set from 2022:
Ridiculous lawsuit but I do wonder if the guy did it to get the general public talking about the status of Bond again?
I just don't buy that the law works in the way they lay out: otherwise folks would be opening Star Wars aquariums and Batman bowling alleys all over the place, all because the IP owners haven't exploited their trademarks in those particular areas. Seems like nonsense.
If it applies to the Bond trademark in general, which is owned by Danjaq/MGM, then it's even more nonsense because the 25 films remain on sale, books have been continued to be released, I bought several new soundtrack CDs in the last couple of months etc., all of which use the James Bond 007 trademark licensed by Danjaq/MGM. It's blatantly balls.
I am no legal expert by any means but it sounds like a bunch of nonsense. Somebody looking for a payoff or some publicity.
This man certainly picked a bad time to start this.
Hmm 🤔
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
The Bond trademark dispute is still ongoing in case anyone thought it had faded away. Hopefully a lesson that Danjaq/EON and MGM can't not make a Bond film for many year at a time.
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/may/27/james-bond-franchise-owners-request-more-time-to-defend-control-of-007-spy-name
Just because it has not faded away does not mean it's not still a total BS case. Lot's of dubious/questionable stuff ends up in court to end up being dismissed. Bezos has plenty of money and plenty of lawyers. I wonder if this Austrian Developer just wants to get his hands on the IP to promote his gadzillion dollar resort hotel he's building in Dubai. With all the money and heavy hitter lawyers Bezos has at his disposal the guy filing the suite could end up not even being able to afford to buy a ticket to a Bond film after all is said and done.
Still ongoing.