The owner of the multi-billion-pound James Bond franchise has called for more time to set up defenses to control the names of super spies in Europe after legal challenges to trademark rights across various goods and services.
In February, The Guardian revealed that the Dubai-based real estate developer had filed a claim with the UK, claiming that the EU means various protections have expired around James Bond’s intellectual property, including his name, 007 assignment and the tagline “Bond, James Bond.”
Almost all actions are related to the commercialization of goods and services under bond names. This can be challenged after five years of “non-use”.
Austrian Joseph Kreindienst, who is building a $5 billion luxury resort complex called the heart of Europe on six artificial islands off Dubai, claims that the trademark has not exploded commercially.
Daniel Craig’s final 007, 007, No Them To Die was released in 2021 and with no announcement yet about his alternative or timeline for the production of his next film, the franchise is on track to beat the longest gap between six years and four months of installments.
The bond trademark is registered with the US-based company Danjaq and works with UK-based production company EON to manage James Bond merchandising rights around the world.
Danjaq spent his first 60 days submitting trademark defenses after the challenge. I did so at my UK intellectual property office, but I asked for more time to submit it to the EU.
“As a general rule, the initial, unilateral request for extensions received within the time frame will be deemed appropriate and recognized,” the EU Intellectual Property Office, which filed the deadline. However, he added that it is very unlikely to grant further expansions from mid-June on “unless there are exceptional circumstances.”
Danjaq also co-owns the copyright to the existing James Bond Studios along with MGM Studios, which was acquired by Amazon for $8.5 billion in 2021. A few days after reporting on Kleindienst’s legal challenges, it was revealed that Amazon had paid over $1 billion to gain “creative control” for James Franchisis franchasis and Barcolis franchis franchis franchis of franchisias franchis of franchis of furn broccolis a fuls fluccolis a fuls francys fluncoli.
With creative control, Amazon now has the power to advance new films and potentially television spinoffs without approval for film producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, who directed the character integrity created by author Ian Fleming in 1953.
In March, Amazon confirmed that Amy Pascal and David Heyman will pilot the upcoming Bond film, but the release date and lead actor have not yet been named.
Pascal has experience with the Bond series in her previous position as Sony’s film chair. She also had producer credits for the latest Spider-Man series.
Heyman is best known as the producer and Fantastic Beast franchise of all Harry Potter films, and is currently pre-produced for the highly anticipated HBO TV series story adaptation. He is the second most commercially successful film producer of all time, including credits for Gravity, Paddington, Barbie, Wonka and others, as well as a once-in-a-lifetime Hollywood.