Sports Direct with humiliating control

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Records published by the Intellectual Property Office yesterday show Sports Direct own quite a lot of trademarks, including:

Rangers
Scope of trademark: organisation of sporting activities.
This property has not been licenced to the football club, or joint ventures like Rangers Retail Ltd.  Sports Direct own the rights to call a football team Rangers.

Rangers (again)
Scope: from clothing to trinkets and everything in between.
Owned by Sports Direct, licenced to Rangers Retail Ltd

Glasgow Rangers Football Club
Scope: clothes trinkets, etc.
Owned by Sports Direct, licenced to Rangers Retail Ltd

RFC, Broxi Bear, The Gers, Follow Follow, Ibrox, Rangers News, Rangers Travel and all the crests, badges and logos are all owned by Sports Direct and licenced to Rangers Retail Ltd, which is 76% owned by the Sports Direct group.

So if the club want to call themselves Rangers, or Glasgow Rangers, they need to cut a deal with Mike Ashley.  The most humiliating aspect of the whole thing is that the new board appeared to know nothing about this until the Intellectual Property Office published the details yesterday.  The lack of due diligence is breathtaking.

The only things Ashley seems to have ignored is that pejorative nickname they complain about so much, and the phrase Murray Park, although he has security over the training ground of that name.

We warned them repeatedly.  Ashley was in control and had the opportunity to ensure he got what he wanted before the EGM.  One of the richest men in Europe, he is a formidable opponent and known to be utterly ruthless.

You can’t bully him.  Better to recognise this reality and accept your subservient future than create a scenario where even another liquidation event would not free the ‘Rangers’ football brand from the ironclad yolk of a man you’ve made your enemy.

What have the lemmings done to themselves?  We were told Mike Ashley was a business man and he would acquiesce as this was just business.  In the history of business miscalculations this is up there with the guy at Pye who rejected The Beatles.

It’s all their own work, they can’t blame the SFA, SPL, SFL, Celtic, Her Majesty’s Revenue’, the BBC or Craig Whyte.  A recovery which would have been difficult enough is now completely and predictably wrecked.

Fancy a trip to Dublin for the Ireland-Scotland game in June?  There’s a bus leaving Glasgow with Ireland and Scotland (but all Celtic) fans.  Two nights in a Dublin hotel, travel and match ticket among the Ireland fans for £200.  Let me know if you’re interested, celticquicknews@gmail.com

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1,208 Comments

  1. Went to bed late after staying up for first three innings of Red Sox v Yankees. Woke up at around 6 to find game was still going and was tied after 17 innings. Got up again to see Red Sox win in 19. Epic game of baseball.

  2. thetimreaper

     

     

    Looking for bevvy, pyros and plundered intellectual property rights….

     

     

    Meanwhile the crime wave in the Perth ghettoes continues unabated….

     

     

    HH jamesgang

  3. Lennybhoy

     

     

    I know, apologies, got pulled into watching a film – departed, and had left phone in kitchen, too late to respond

     

     

    Refer to message at 9.13, not got confirmed date, but will be before end of May

     

     

    Hail Hail

  4. Tbj

     

     

    Two of my bmw faves…….

     

     

    I Know

     

     

    And

     

     

    I Know a Place

     

     

    His songs have always given me strength & peace.

     

     

    HH jamesgang

  5. Standard Questioning Technique from Perth’s Finest………..on arresting the progress of Our Bus-Bound Bhoys…………..

     

     

    “….Ur yoo noo, oar huv you iver been a freen o’ John Guidetti?”

     

     

     

    Let’s be careful oot there bhoys!

     

     

    HH

  6. Big Georges Fan Club - Hail, Hail, Wee Oscar on

    Any news on the John Guidetti Trial of the Century?

     

     

    HH

     

    BGFC

  7. Tim Malone Will Tell on

    theglasgowcelticway

     

     

    I like your thinking – Mike Ashley would probably win the competition.

  8. TBJ says Wee Oscar Knox is in heaven with the angels on

    Mah

     

     

    My pleasure to represent the site

     

     

    Glasgow Celtic way

     

     

    Would the comp be a bit like their cross bar challenge ?

     

     

    I can imagine some of the suggestions from da berrs . Masonic symbols … LOL insignia – WATP – red hands – her maj – hmrc ;))

  9. Didn’t the Oranj Ordure……………….

     

    make a really guid job of promoting OrangeFest and Super Sash Man or some such rocketry?

     

     

    Get them on “The Badge” case pronto -( in an’ oot SAS style!)

     

     

    He Who Stares Wins.

  10. Tim Malone.

     

     

    Reminded me of an auld joke from my schooldays.

     

     

    What do you get if you jumble up the letters of Ian Ferguson?

     

     

    The way he spells it.

     

     

    :-)

  11. thomthethim for Oscar OK on

    The Hun didn’t sell their rights.

     

     

    They hocked them to SD, to be redeemed when/if they pay their uncle Mike his €5m.

  12. While they’re running a competition for a new badge. They could give each person a vote to rename Murray Park.

     

     

    Sounds like a great idea :-)

  13. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    TBJ 0919

     

     

    Strangely,my Dad always says that about me,and from an early age too.

     

     

    I simply point out that an empty house is not a necessity…

  14. tinytim

     

     

    09:02 on 11 April, 2015

     

    Henke

     

     

    Being addicted to CQN is another form of OCD (:-)

     

     

    TT

     

    ———-

     

    No such thing as OCD, its CDO

     

    #letters in correct order :-)

  15. I saw some press stuff about ‘simply’ designing a new badge.

     

    That’s why you have trademarks, its to protect your intellectual property. And to stop someone taking your trademark, and creating a lookalike.

     

     

    If someone does infringe your trademark, you then try amicably to resolve via expensive trademark attorneys, or you get a cease and desist order.

     

    Either way expensive stuff.

  16. bobby murdoch’s curled-up winklepickers

     

     

    08:30 on 11 April, 2015The John Guidetti trial fiasco.Anyone think the beaks are trying to figure out what they can do him for? And how?

     

    Mick-i think they realise now that they shouldn’t have touched this one,as it might mean them to explain any punishment.It could affect their ‘same club’ lie.The SFA might have been taken aback that CFC sais they would defend JG.I think this charge might disappear.

  17. TBJ and BMCUWP

     

     

    Namaste.

     

     

    This place is the best CBT available.

     

     

    On matters fitba, 2-0 to Celtic today, with CG the MOTM.

     

     

    Let the people sing…

  18. Tim Malone Will Tell on

    My first thoughts are maybe a badge with Regan, Doncaster and LNS as the 3 wise monkeys – with “move along Timmy” inscribed in Latin.

  19. Melbourne Mick on

    Hello again all you young rebels.

     

     

    Now the campaign to help the darkside change their

     

    name is gathering momentum i’d like to suggest from their

     

    anagram, RSERANG sounds about right to me, but then

     

    i’ve been on the bevy all day with some Perth tims.

     

    I think you could all do better,

     

    H.H Mick

  20. prestonpans bhoys on

    Tim,

     

     

    Year born and new motto not owned by big Mick

     

     

    2012:2012:2012:2012

     

    20 Huns r us. 12

     

    2012:2012:2012:20B2

  21. MickTT @ 9.13

     

    Just logged in to see your Cesar is “a living statue” quote.

     

    Fair cheered me up so it did.

     

     

    EC67

     

     

    WeknowwhatyoumeantthoughtyougotawaywithitCSC

  22. David Low on twitter suggesting that RIFC have already defaulted on the loan without saying how (by de-listing?), hence AJ story about new crest.

  23. Morning all.

     

     

    Tough game today but going for 2-0 to the Hoops.

     

     

    Ronny’s favourite score!

     

     

    HH!!

  24. weeminger

     

     

    10:25 on 11 April, 2015

     

     

    ‘David Low on twitter suggesting that RIFC have already defaulted on the loan without saying how (by de-listing?), hence AJ story about new crest.’

     

     

    ###

     

     

    If true then they are not only trading while insolvent, they are trading wrongfully.

     

     

    The first makes the directors personally liable for the company’s debts, the second is a criminal offence.

  25. theglasgowcelticway on

    Melbourne Mick.

     

     

    My dyslexia appears to be getting worse.I tried to make an anagram of Rangers (hope I haven’t broke any copyright laws) and came up with Huns.

  26. mighty tim supporting wee Oscar on

    Morning bhoys from a very foggy mountain in Oslo. Heading into city shortly if greeninbingley can tell me where the celtic bar is I can meet him and buy him a beer.

     

     

    2-0 the hoops

     

     

    HH

     

     

    KTF

     

     

    UTLR

  27. Ernie Lynch – I think it’s a more technical default than simply not being able to repay. So I’m not sure about trading while insolvent.

     

     

    I know they already have been by relying on loans but again its all technicalities.