Superdry has sued Manchester City over an alleged trademark infringement on its training kit.
The football club has been met with a High Court claim from the retailer over its “Asahi super dry” training gear, the Telegraph reported.
Over the summer, Manchester City revealed beer manufacturer Asahi Super ‘Dry’ would feature on its mens and womens kit during 2023-24.
Superdry alleged “the differences between Super ‘Dry’ and Superdry are so insignificant that they may go unnoticed by the average consumer”.
The fashion brand requested an “injunction to restrain” the football club from using its name in papers lodged in London on 15 December.
Superdry is also pursuing costs, however it is “presently unable to quantify the exact financial value of this claim”.
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Philip Roberts KC, acting for Fox Williams LLP on behalf of the fashion company, warned of a demand for the “destruction or modification upon oath of all goods and other items… [which] would constitute a breach of the injunctions”.
The allegation included various images of the players wearing training gear and details about how the club revealed in July to that Super ‘Dry’ Asahi 0.0% would feature on sportswear such as “long-sleeved zip tops and short-sleeved shirts”.
The barrister said: “The sponsored kit is identical to each of the selected goods” and is “identical with or similar to the mark for which the Superdry Registrations are registered in relation to goods identical with or similar to those for which the Superdry Registrations are registered, in circumstances liable to give rise to a likelihood of confusion on the part of the public.”
The football club revealed the “new non-alcoholic version of the Asahi iconic brand” had become its official training gear partner in July.
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