Protection from unscrupulous traders

A TOP lawyer advising Pompey has said it will give the club '˜commercial protection' but also protect fans from '˜unscrupulous traders'.

Gary Johnston, who advised Manchester United Football Club on protecting its brand in the 1990s, said the club’s bid for trademark protection is ‘no different’ to what top Premier League clubs have in place already.

Mr Johnston, a partner at Mathys & Squire, said: ‘It provides commercial protection for the trademark going forward and protects the commercial interest of the club.

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‘Secondly, and probably most importantly, it gives the club the wherewithal to engages customs and trading standards officers to detain and destroy counterfeit goods. Without that trademark protection in place you simply cannot do it. Doing that and securing protection and engaging customers the club is, one, protecting its fans from unscrupulous traders selling counterfeit products, which is often frankly often inferior and of questionable origin, and two its assisting in the global fight against counterfeiting.’