Bid to make ‘Albion’ a trademark

BRIGHTON & Hove Albion are planning to include Burton Albion and West Bromwich Albion in a bid to trademark the word “Albion” in a bid to crack down on fake merchandise.

Brewers chairman Ben Robinson confirmed that West Brom have been in touch to float the idea but not, as yet, Brighton.

According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, the Premier League club will submit an application to the Intellectual Property Office and are hoping the other two Albions join forces with them.

But they say that they will not attempt to restrict other, smaller clubs from using the name.

Tadcaster Albion and Witton Albion are just two longestablished non-League clubs with the name, while Stirling Albion have a long history in Scotland. Albion is the earliest known name for the island of Britain.

It is a move similar to a bid made by Liverpool last year, who failed to trademark the city’s name. Their request was rejected in September due to its “geographical significance”.

However, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur were both successful in their brand protection applications in recent years.

A West Brom spokesman confirmed on Sunday that they are consulting their own legal team to assess the proposal. Their name dates from 1880.

Brighton have made the application to protect their commercial assets and rights from exploitation, primarily in terms of fake or unofficial merchandise or counterfeit goods.