Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has successfully defended rights to the Defender brand, as applied to the now-defunct classic Land Rover, in a UK High Court action against Canadian powersports manufacturer Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP).
BRP has been blocked from obtaining an EU trademark on the Defender moniker by this legal ruling. The company will therefore henceforth be obliged to re-badge its Can-Am Defender side-by-side ATV range if it wishes to continue selling them in the UK and other European markets. JLR was also awarded legal costs and damages against BRP for infringement of intellectual property.
JLR had affirmed registration of the Defender trademark earlier this year in advance of launching a fresh Land Rover generation. Quite what will happen if it attempts to export these products under Defender branding to the US and Canada (where presumably BRP has title) is open to question.
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