The Daily Mail reported on Saturday that TV Chef James Martin lost a trademark battle involving his name. The trademark was disputed by the scotch whisky brand Ardbeg’s parent company, Macdonald & Muir. The company is behind some other heavy hitters in the scotch business, including The Glenmorangie.
The legal team for Macdonald & Mur opposed Martin’s application to use his name in creating a line of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. They claimed that it would confuse customers with the already established brand that uses the name “James Martin.” The outlet reported that the television star has to pay £1,900 ($2,558) to cover the scotch company’s legal fees.
According to The Spirits Business, Martin applied for the trademark in July 2022. Some of the spirits listed were non-alcoholic gin, non-alcoholic cocktails, ginger ales, fruit juices and syrups. Macdonald & Muir opposed the trademark application, since the brand has owned the trademark for James Martin and James Martin’s since 1998. The company, which has since changed its name to “The Glenmorangie Company” in 1996, shared that Martin’s potential brand would lead to a “likelihood of confusion.”
James Martin & Co is a discontinued whisky brand that produced a collection of blended whiskies, according to ScotchWhisky.com. The brand has a rich history that dates back to 1878.
These scotches are quite rare, and Redditors posted on r/whisky that some extended-age expressions can fetch high prices. Some of their 30-year-old bottles are reportedly selling for €3,000 ($3,497.86). Extended-age expressions are particularly popular in Portugal, according to the outlet.
More on James Martin — a Television Host and Chef
The TV chef James Martin is known for his series Saturday Kitchen, which ran on the BBC from 2006 until 2016. The television presenter was also a pivotal force on other shows like “Junior Bake Off,” “Saturday Morning With James Martin,” and “James Martin: Home Comforts.”
In 2021, Martin launched his own wines, which were sourced from the Corbières region. It appears that the alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks would be a part of expanding his brand. It is unclear whether or not Martin intends to pivot and choose a different name for the brand expansion.
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