Bentley told to destroy their clothing line after their 15-year trade mark battle

In November 2019, Volkswagen-owned luxury car maker Bentley was found by the High Court to have infringed the trade mark rights of Bentley Clothing, a Manchester-based fashion company founded in 1962.

Bentley Motors first approached Bentley Motors in 1998 concerning the trade mark ‘Bentley’ that the clothing firm had registered in 1982, and in 2018, after years of dispute and negotiations, launched proceedings in the High Court. Following the court ruling, Bentley Motors can no longer use the word ‘Bentley’ on any of their UK clothing range, which has also been limited to jackets, silk ties, caps and scarves as a result of the proceedings.

Now, Bentley Motors have also been instructed to destroy any infringing clothing featuring the disputed mark by the 3^rd of February 2021. Furthermore, Bentley Clothing reportedly denied Bentley Motors request to remove the branding from the stock and donate the remaining clothing items to charity.

Director Chris Lees of the family-owned fashion firm claimed the ruling was a ‘huge relief’ following years of financial and emotional ruin. Lees Solicitor, Simon Bennett, said the case was a great example of how small companies can still challenge large multinational ones over validly registered marks.

Ellie King