James Bond franchise faces trademark battle
James Bond's iconic trademarks—like "007" and "Bond, James Bond"—are at the center of a legal fight.
Austrian businessman Josef Kleindienst says these names haven't been used enough in Europe and wants the rights revoked.
He's known for developing a $5 billion luxury resort near Dubai.
Danjaq calls it an 'unprecedented assault'
Danjaq LLC, which owns the Bond merchandising rights, isn't taking this lightly.
Their lawyer Rudolf Bockenholt called it an "unprecedented assault," adding that Bond is one of the EU's most respected trademarks.
Danjaq is now gathering proof that these names are still in use and says Kleindienst's move is just trying to game the system.
Kleindienst only challenged EU trademarks
Danjaq co-owns film rights with MGM (now owned by Amazon), so there's already a lot happening behind the scenes—especially since Daniel Craig left and Amazon took creative control.
Interestingly, Kleindienst only challenged EU trademarks and skipped UK ones, where rules are tougher.
The battle over who gets to use "007" could shape what happens next for Bond merch and movies in Europe.