Georgian courts have ruled in favour of Aviator in the firm’s copyright and trademark infringement claim against Spribe OÜ and Flutter-owned Adjarabet.
The group was awarded $330m in damages after the ruling found copyright and trademark infringement and invalidated trademark registrations based on bad faith.
One of the key elements of the case was Aviator seeking to halt Adjarabet from utilising copyrighted material by offering Spribe’s Aviator crash game.
The Aviator brand registered by Spribe has gone on to become one of Adjarabet’s most successful crash games, the firm originally registered its own “Aviator” trademarks for computer games and gambling services, which the claimant argued were infringing on its original trademark.
Nikoloz Gogilidze, Managing Partner of the law firm Mikadze Gegetchkori Taktakishvili LLC, which represents Aviator LLC, commented on the conclusion: “We are pleased with the outcome of the court’s ruling on this claim, and we will continue to aggressively protect our client’s intellectual property from unlicensed use on any international gaming platforms.”
The decision also invalidates the challenged trademark registrations and means that Adjarabet will be forced to no longer use the aviator branding on a game that has been so successful for its portfolio.
Flutter confirmed the acquisition of Adjarabet in 2019, using the deal as a platform to bolster its presence in the Georgian market. At the time the group underlined it was fuelled by their strategy to gain podium positions in some of the most attractive and thriving markets in igaming.
