Ladbrokes Loses Case Against Danish Monopoly

Danish wagering monopoly Danske Spil has won a trademark infringement case against gambling giant Ladbrokes, related to a marketing campaign the UK based firm ran in 2008.

The infringing marketing campaign carried the tagline "Danske Spil Engelske Odds" as well as body copy that read: "Hvad er Ladbrokes (what is Ladbrokes?), Danske spil (Danish games), Samme spil/Samme tryghed (Same games/Same safety), Engelske Odds (English Odds), Større gevinst/Bedre service (Bigger winnings/Better service)".

The Danish High Court decided to overturn a previous ruling by the Maritime and Commercial Court in Copenhagen. The previous ruling went in favor of Ladbrokes and was appealed by Danske Spil. Furthermore, the state monopoly will be able to have exclusive rights to use the name Danske Spil, which translates to Danish Games.

For its part, Ladbrokes charged Danske Spil of violation of EU Regulations; charges that the court ruled in favor of Danske Spil.

Danske Spill CEO H.C. Madsen spoke about the victory, saying “We are very satisfied with the sentence and welcome the liberalised gambling market. However, it is important to us that our new competitors play by the rules. Consequently, it is fine that the High Court has now defined fair play within marketing."

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