Cole Palmer v French vineyard is football’s latest random copyright battle

 

SOUR GRAPES

Victoria Beckham taking on and losing against Peterborough United in a battle over the nickname “Posh”. Cristiano Ronaldo trademarking the combination of his initials and shirt number, “CR7”, to boost his brand. Kylian Mbappé nabbing the rights to his iconic crossed-arms goal celebration when it almost certainly would have been far more lucrative to seize ownership of that ubiquitously annoying “cry more” gif so beloved of dullards on several Social Media Disgraces. In a football business already swamped with cash and opportunists eager to get their mitts on as much of it as they can, it ought to come as no surprise that the very top players, clubs and Peterborough try to maximise their income by making their personal “brands” off limits to potential counterfeiters, bootleggers and other ne’er-do-wells.

It seems a certain Cole “Cold” Palmer is the latest to get his legal team on the case, after it emerged the Chelsea midfielder (or more likely his Mr or Mrs 15%) instructed them to apply to trademark his famous “shivering” goal celebration and nickname. Quite apart from the fact that he nicked the former from a teammate and nobody calls him by the latter, Football Daily can’t possibly see Team Palmer hitting any snags when their case is considered by the Intellectual Property Office, who will decide whether to grant them the rights to hawk overpriced trainers, cologne, toys, drinks and other branded tat to gullible Chelsea and England fans. At least we couldn’t until we discovered a French winery had lobbed a £2,166 bottle of Château Palmer, 3ème Cru Classé into the works by blocking his application.

Founded in 1814 when the British army officer, Charles Palmer, bought the vineyard from previous owner Madame Gasque and changed its name, Château Palmer has challenged young Cole’s bid to lend his name and image exclusively to alcoholic beverages, presumably on the grounds that they were flogging wine a full 139 years before he first showcased the celebration he appropriated from Morgan Rogers at Kenilworth Road. Lawyers at the IPO will now adjudicate after receiving legal representations from both sides and in the course of their deliberations may or may not chuckle at the irony of the fact that one particular drop sold by the French vineyard glories in the name Alter Ego. Billed as being “elegant and velvety with a wonderful capacity to age and evolve”, this fruit-driven and lively Margaux sounds identical to the footballer with whom Château Palmer are currently going to war. Rather than enter into conflict, a lucrative collaboration really ought to be on the cards.