23/05/2006
NEWS STORY
Just days after it was confirmed that Bernie Ecclestone has signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the five manufacturers that comprise the Grand Prix Manufacturers' Association, it has been revealed that the Englishman's intellectual property division had already filed opposition to the GPMA name.
It is understood that FOM's intellectual property division went to the European trademark authorities citing "detriment to distinctiveness or repute".
Ecclestone is fiercely protective of various words and phrases associated with Formula One, and over the years the Englishman, and his lawyers, have waged war on anyone perceived to be infringing his trademarks. Grand Prix Masters and A1 Grand Prix are just two of the organizations that have found themselves under attack, even though it is widely agreed that Ecclestone has no right to claim the term 'Grand Prix' which is not exclusive to Formula One or indeed motorsport.