Clothing brand Superdry have filed a High Court claim against Manchester City alleging that the Premier League club have infringed their trademark on their training kit.
The club announced a new partnership with Japanese beer brand Asahi ahead of the 2023/24 season that sees the no-alcohol “Super ‘Dry’ 0.0” product emblazoned on their training apparel. Introduced in 1987, the alcoholic version of the beverage is now Asahi’s flagship product.
UK-based clothing company Superdry, founded in 2001, has requested an “injunction to restrain” that would prevent Manchester City from wearing kit with the branding in place.
As first reported by Law360, The Telegraph report that Superdry argue that “the differences between Super ‘Dry’ and Superdry are so insignificant that they may go unnoticed by the average consumer”. The company is also pursuing costs, though are as yet unable to quantify the “exact financial value”.
Manchester City have worn the logo of ‘Super Dry Asahi 0.0’ on their training kit this season— (Getty Images)
“The defendant [City] is hereby called upon to confirm whether it is using or intending to use the sign(s) complained of in relation to any Class 25 goods beyond the sponsored kit, in order that the selected goods relied upon can be expanded to the extent necessary without undue case management disruption,” Philip Roberts KC, acting for Fox Williams LLC on behalf the plaintiff, says in the court filing, according to The Telegraph.
“The Defendant threatens and intends to perpetuate (alternatively, to commence) the acts complained of hereinabove. By reason of the aforesaid acts the claimants have suffered damage and/or will suffer damage in the future unless restrained by this honourable court.”
Manchester City announced the deal for the 2023/24 season in July, continuing a partnership with Asahi that began in 2022.
The Tokyo-based brewers are the largest of the four major beer brewers in Japan, with a market share of nearly 40 per cent.
