Notice served and Dulwich Hamlet locked out of ground

[Winot]

Does anyone have any info on "Greendales IP LLC", on whose behalf Blake Morgan are acting? I can't find anything on the Companies House site and Google only lists news articles where they are mentioned in the text.

They are a US company (Delaware). Address details on the UKIPO trade mark register:

Search for a trade mark - Intellectual Property Office

 

[Crispy]

Delaware is notorious for hosting copyright/patent/trademark troll shell companies and law suits.

 

[mickydoodle]

........it's OK - just found out from the East Dulwich Forum *The East Dulwich Forum) that Greendales IP LLC is registered at "The Corporation Trust Company, Corporation Trust Centre, 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, New Castle Country, Delaware 1, United States of America". Worth reading Burbage's post on the East Dulwich forum.

 

[tonysingh]

Trademark these Meadows, you fucking shitcunts

 

[Winot]

Delaware is notorious for hosting copyright/patent/trademark troll shell companies and law suits.

US corporations generally. It's a tax shelter.

 

[mrs quoad]

View attachment 129494 View attachment 129495

Trademark these Meadows, you fucking shitcunts

They rhyme!

 

[editor]

Wriggle, wriggle, wriggle:

Statement in response to recent enquiries on Meadow Partners.

A Blake Morgan spokesperson, said:

"We were asked to provide advice on trade mark law as part of our client's complex discussions about land at Champion Hill. We're aware commercial conversations between Meadow Partners and Dulwich Hamlet FC are ongoing, but are not party to these, and cannot comment further."

 

[editor]

 

[GregDHFC]

The position is as follows:

1. The Trade Marks Registry do not reject applications on the basis of earlier rights. They leave it up to competing owners to handle that themselves through the opposition or invalidation procedure. That is why these have not been rejected.

2. Ordinary words can be registered. An objection will however be raised if the words are descriptive of the products/services covered. Not the case here.

3. DHFC can invalidate the registrations if they can show that as a result of their use of the marks over the years, they have amassed unregistered rights (passing off rights). Essentially they need to show that people seeing the mark used on the products/services will assume they are being used by the club and not by the registered owner of the mark. See Section 47(2) of 1994 Trade Marks Act.

4. The club could therefore start collecting evidence of use of the marks over the years if it wanted to mount an invalidation action.

5. However this is probably a distraction as in practice the club will have a defence to infringement under Section 11(3) to essentially carry on doing what it has been doing over the years.

6. I don't know anything about this dispute but it sounds like an arsehole Goliath v plucky David situation, right? So even if Goliath loses the trade mark action, it will still cost David money to defend. This is a potentially expensive distraction. The club seems to be doing very well harnessing media to get people on its side. The trade mark issue is probably not worth prioritising.

Caveat - the above is general advice as I haven't looked at the papers. I am a lawyer though.

What would happen if, for example, the current club is forced into liquidation and a new club wanted to be formed with a very similar name? (Obviously nobody on here wants that, but it is a last resort).

Would Meadows be able to stop that happening based on this trademark? Would disputing it now prevent that future problem?

 

[ftg6]

Don't post much on here (if ever?) but need to post now. Absolutely despicable what they're doing. Would it do any good writing to my council? I'm not in Southwark, but my partner is (who I've dragged to Champion Hill a few times)... would it be better to get her to write in?

Went the game last night on my lonesome, worth every second. Tremendous turnout

 

[Winot]

What would happen if, for example, the current club is forced into liquidation and a new club wanted to be formed with a very similar name? (Obviously nobody on here wants that, but it is a last resort).

Would Meadows be able to stop that happening based on this trademark? Would disputing it now prevent that future problem?

The current club should ensure that the goodwill in the trade marks is assigned to the new club [edit - before liquidation obv.] so that the new club is able to run the defence and/or invalidity attack. Specialist IP advice will be needed to get this right, but it shouldn't be too expensive.

 

[dessiato]

I've posted on that, and have also tweeted them. Although, as I said earlier, this will not affect me, I've never been so incensed by so blatant bullying by big business. It also incenses me that they claim to be people who care about people, communities, and the environment but still feel able to do this to the club formerly known as Dulwich Hamlet.

 

[DanBrown]

Hello,

As a semi-frequent Dulwich Hamlet attendee, a Grimsby Town fan and long term Southwark resident, I just want to chime in and say how disgusting this is. I don't really have anything helpful to add, but I'll be sure to be supporting the club over this period and this just seems so evil that I can't see it succeeding.

(Watching Dulwich brings me far more joy than Grimsby)

 

[editor]

From the other thread but worth sharing here:

This is taken from their own website

 

[1927]

Best of luck stopping this DHFC. I'd be mortified if Penzance were being turfed out of Penlee Park si I hope other non-league fans will get behind you. Give us a shout if I can publicise / retweet or help any other way.

And if your landlords used the same trademark tactics the G&S operetta would be the Pirates of some place in Cornwall.

 

[Fingers]

Don't post much on here (if ever?) but need to post now. Absolutely despicable what they're doing. Would it do any good writing to my council? I'm not in Southwark, but my partner is (who I've dragged to Champion Hill a few times)... would it be better to get her to write in?

Went the game last night on my lonesome, worth every second. Tremendous turnout

Hi, this is the advice we are giving out


A number of fan action based initiatives will be put in place over the next few weeks.

You can help us today in a number of ways:

If you live in Southwark, please email your local councillors and ask them to support the council proposal to buy Champion Hill. If you live over the border in Lambeth, please suggest some neighbourly support. Find their details at www.writetothem.com.

If you live elsewhere in London, please email your London Assembly members and ask them to raise this with the Mayor. We’re grateful for Sadiq Khan’s support, but please help us make sure this stays on his agenda. Again, find their details at www.writetothem.com.

Raise this issue with your local MP. What is happening to Dulwich Hamlet could happen to any community football club, while property developers should not be allowed to bully cherished local institutions. www.writetothem.com

Drop a friendly note to Meadow’s US parent company, Meadow Partners LLC. Please, no abuse or threats. Its London office’s shocking mismanagement of this scheme is damaging its reputation and wasting its money. Let Andrew McDaniel, who is responsible for the firm in Europe, know why you love Dulwich Hamlet and why Meadow is wasting its time bullying the club.

Meadow has nothing to lose and everything to gain by selling up. Contact him and Meadow’s New York office at amcdaniel@meadowpartners.com and info@meadowpartners.com.

We’re an independent fan group, acting on our own initiative and not controlled by the club or the supporters’ trust. You’ll be hearing more from us soon. Let’s stick together and save Dulwich Hamlet.

 

[dessiato]

Hello,

As a semi-frequent Dulwich Hamlet attendee, a Grimsby Town fan and long term Southwark resident, I just want to chime in and say how disgusting this is. I don't really have anything helpful to add, but I'll be sure to be supporting the club over this period and this just seems so evil that I can't see it succeeding.

(Watching Dulwich brings me far more joy than Grimsby)

When was the last time TMM won?depressing isn't it?

 

[dessiato]

Hi, this is the advice we are giving out


A number of fan action based initiatives will be put in place over the next few weeks.

You can help us today in a number of ways:

If you live in Southwark, please email your local councillors and ask them to support the council proposal to buy Champion Hill. If you live over the border in Lambeth, please suggest some neighbourly support. Find their details at www.writetothem.com.

If you live elsewhere in London, please email your London Assembly members and ask them to raise this with the Mayor. We’re grateful for Sadiq Khan’s support, but please help us make sure this stays on his agenda. Again, find their details at www.writetothem.com.

Raise this issue with your local MP. What is happening to Dulwich Hamlet could happen to any community football club, while property developers should not be allowed to bully cherished local institutions. www.writetothem.com

Drop a friendly note to Meadow’s US parent company, Meadow Partners LLC. Please, no abuse or threats. Its London office’s shocking mismanagement of this scheme is damaging its reputation and wasting its money. Let Andrew McDaniel, who is responsible for the firm in Europe, know why you love Dulwich Hamlet and why Meadow is wasting its time bullying the club.

Meadow has nothing to lose and everything to gain by selling up. Contact him and Meadow’s New York office at amcdaniel@meadowpartners.com and info@meadowpartners.com.

We’re an independent fan group, acting on our own initiative and not controlled by the club or the supporters’ trust. You’ll be hearing more from us soon. Let’s stick together and save Dulwich Hamlet.

Do you have a form letter to help with writing to Meadow?

 

[editor]

Date for your diaries:

Oh look: Blake Morgan have removed the tweet inviting people to their fascinating talk.

 

[Fingers]

 

[Fingers]

Do you have a form letter to help with writing to Meadow?

This is something in the pipeline.

 

[Nivag]

Oh look: Blake Morgan have removed the tweet inviting people to their fascinating talk.

The original tweet is still available though

 

[editor]

Match report and feature highlighting the support the club has received
Dulwich Hamlet triumph at rivals Billericay while support pours in for the beleaguered club

 

[editor]

DHST statement on Buzz:

Dulwich Hamlet Supporters’ Trust issue statement over club future

 

[Fingers]

 

[editor]

So why take the trademarks in the first place and pocket the bar takings, you bullshitting cunts?

They're fucked and they know they are. No one is going to forget their bullying tactics and that's going to include future clients.

The best thing they can do is get the fuck out of Champion Hill and let Ferdinand's company give the community what it needs.

 

[1927]

Is this the fastest climb down in corporate history?

Translated I think that letter says “ we shat ourselves”

It makes out that the trademarking bit was all agreed and was being done in the interests of the fans as per the memorandum! Was anyone at the club aware of this or it a complete lie?

I wonder what pressure has been brought to bear by the other parties, the lawyers, to force this change of heart?

 

[Fingers]

They my have got jittery about what we did to their comedy law firm yesterday

 

[alcopop]

So why take the trademarks in the first place and pocket the bar takings, you bullshitting cunts?

They're fucked and they know they are. No one is going to forget their bullying tactics and that's going to include future clients.

The best thing they can do is get the fuck out of Champion Hill and let Ferdinand's company give the community what it needs.

They’re just after leverage over the council. No need to get so aereated.

 

[ska invita]

Jittery about CPO Id imagine