A family enterprise from Wrexham is being challenged by a US spectacle maker over its dragon logo.
Marchon Eyewear had a $516 million turnover in 2021, slightly larger than Rebel Dragon Designs, which makes Welsh souvenirs, badges and stickers that the family sell mainly at local fairs and events. Rebel Dragon applied to patent its distinctive red dragon logo (see below) to the Intellectual Property Office (formerly the Patent Office).
Now Rebel Dragon has received a notice from the IPO to say that New York-based Marchon Eyewear is opposing its application to trademark the dragon because ‘it is similar’ to their logo and Rebel Dragon sells similar products. In a statement on Facebook, Rebel Dragon refuted the claims bluntly: "It isn’t and we don’t. We’ve explained to their lawyers based in London that our tiny family business is all about promoting Wales, and that the dragon is Welsh! We are not competing with them in any way shape or form and never will be. We just want to protect our own minuscule brand.
"We believe this is a disgraceful attempt by big business to take what is rightfully ours. They belittle their own customers by claiming that they could confuse their logo with ours. Their own lawyer couldn’t even find our website."
The battle has already been branded "Dafydd against Goliath" on social media with supporters incredulous that a large global corporation such as Marchon should want to challenge a local enterprise that clearly does not make spectacles.
One said: "It is disgraceful and absolute nonsense that customers will confuse the two. Greedy bullies."
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