The Latest Celebrity Trademark Dispute

One one side, a prestigious Bordeaux winery; a Chelsea football star on the other.

It's probably all a bit of a storm in a tea cup (or, claret in a glass) but it's August - a time when stories of little Earth-shattering impact tend to emerge. It goes like this: Cole Palmer, who also plays for England, finds himself up against Château Palmer, located just north of Bordeaux, and takes its name from the British officer Charles Palmer, who owned it in the 19th century.

Photo credits: Chelsea FC and Château Palmer

The Margaux region winery objects to the footballer’s attempt to trademark his nickname, 'Cold Palmer' - as far as using it to sell alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages is concerned. What the winery may or may not appreciate is that Palmer’s signature goal celebration involves him pretending to be cold, and has a history stretching back as far as 2023; whilst Château Palmer has spent the past four centuries focused, in its own words, on “capturing the subtleties of [a] demanding and legendary terroir”.

Since there’s little point in having a personal brand if you’re not using it to sell something, the natural next step was to apply last November to the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) to trademark 'Cold Palmer', meaning it could potentially be used to market a wide range of products in the future.

Unsurprisingly, the winery, which produces vintages which are “among the greatest in Bordeaux”, has sent in its lawyers to oppose his attempt to trademark it in the class relating to alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks - everything else, from clothing to dietary supplements, is OK - and has filed its opposition to the IPO.

A ruling has yet to be made. But we can all sit back and relax, pretty secure in the knowledge that the footballer will let Château Palmer have its way.

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