The owners of James Bond have called the attempt by an Austrian businessman to take control of the superspy’s name across Europe an “unprecedented assault” on the multibillion-pound global franchise.
In February, the Guardian revealed that a Dubai-based property developer had filed claims in the UK and EU arguing that lack of use meant various protections had lapsed around James Bond’s intellectual property, including his name, his 007 assignation and the catchphrase “Bond, James Bond”.
