The owners of Liverpool Football Club have applied to register the Liver bird, the symbol of Liverpool, as a trademark. The club say it's a necessary move to protect counterfeiters making money from fake football shirts and have applied to the UK Intellectual Property Office to register the image for £450.
But Liverpool City Council said the club had "no right" to claim the bird as its own.
Deputy council leader Flo Clucas said the council was taking legal advice over the trademark application.
"I have some very real concerns over it," she said.
"They do already have their crest trademarked, but they have no right of ownership to claim the bird, or any version of the bird, as their own.
"The Liver Bird, not only does it appear on the Royal Charter for the council, but it is also used by local businesses and schools.
"It belongs to the city and nobody has a right to claim it exclusively as the own. It's a symbol for the city."
"The club also says they have no intention of charging organisations that want to use it.
"But there is no guarantee in future that the people of the city will have the right to use that without having to pay for it."
Liverpool already has trademarks on "This is Anfield" and the words "You'll Never Walk Alone" on its official emblem, but is it fair to argue that the Liver Bird is a symbol for the whole of the city.
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Comments
They should also trademark the letters L, F and C while they\'re at it.
I for one don\'t mind doing without 12% of the alphabet to safeguard their revenue.
Now please excuse me, I have a nut to crack and intend to do it with someone else\'s sledgehammer.
The reason Liverpool have not generated the revenue of other clubs - despite equal footballing success - is because Parry has not done everything in his power to capitalize on the market.
Yes, the Liverbird symbol is municipal. But, once that symbol was co-opted by the club, it must be protected as a revenue generating source. Nobody is buying Official Correspondence from the City of Liverpool. Therefor, the Liverbird is worthless.
However, everyone who follows any sort of Football League clearly identifies the Liverbird with Liverpool FC. Hence the rampant pirating of retro shirts, et al.
As well, if you want to acquire the likes of players the quality of Fernando Torres, you need to generate all the money you can from any source possible.
But I always fogret - what you Euro-snob Amerihaters really want feel is entitlement. You want owners to spend thier own money on players under the false prestense of \"investment\". Yet, don\'t raise ticket prices; don\'t raise prices of shirts or chips or ale.
\"Investment\", by definition implies a return or it is a loss. Perhaps that is why all the older English owners are selling your legacy to the highest bidder. They are tired of subsidising your League.
Hope you like all the questionably motivated billionaire-benifactors.
Perhaps a condition of trademrking permission granted by the Local Civil authority, would be a percentage of revenue generated going back into the municipality. Therefor, easing local tax burdens; contributing to stadium development; assisting in youth footballing programmes.
You are correct and I do appologize. Perhaps my sentiment is derived from the vitriolic palaber that is slung on this ownership group.
It was Gillette / Hicks who:
1. secured the land development rights for the new stadium
2. presented a finance plan attractive enough for the City of Liverpool to finalize a gound-breaking-to-completion plan, but public and private funding.
3. Free\'d up enough funds to acquire El Nino, but also, Babel, Kuyt, Skrtel, Arbeloa and Lucas as well as retaining Gerrard, Alonzo and Carragher.
4. Began negotiations with Rafa to secure not only him, long-term, but stabalize the field.
Yet the \"I hate the censoreding owners\" and \" Yanks suck\" barbs still fly.
As an American born to a Scottish father and Irish mother, I am continually reminded of the ignorance / arrogance the persists in England.
Whatever, though. I don\'t expect to have rational conversation anyway.
What I\'m trying to suggest is that had the owners/CEO of LFC sat down with the other stakeholders (users of the Liver Bird emblem) and explained their concept and agreed that it would not interfere with the council/schools/others use of the Liver Bird then everyone would be happy.
As for Mr Liddells\' comments, I have no sympathy for Americans after they voted the Bush in power..not just once but twice! Says everything about Americans really!