Aston Martin Set To Sue Geely For Having A Logo Too Similar To Theirs

Today, there are over a dozen different car manufacturers that use wings of one kind or another on their logos. Aston Martin has been doing this for about 98 years and decided to go head-to-head with another brand that does the same. The strange thing is that of all the brands he could attack, he chose Geely… the company that owns 17% of Aston Martin itself.

According to Carscoops, the British automaker has launched a new legal action against Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, claiming that three new logos Geely wants to use are too close to Aston Martin’s famous winged logo.

The dispute centers on a new emblem designed by Geely for its subsidiary, the London EV Company. The logo features a horse’s head in the center of a set of wings, which Aston Martin says is similar enough to confuse customers.

According to the Telegraph, the fight actually started back in 2022, when Geely first tried to register the logos in the UK. Aston Martin opposed the claim in 2023 but then lost. The UK Intellectual Property Office tribunal ruled that customers were unlikely to confuse the black electric taxi with an Aston Martin sports car, particularly as other car manufacturers already use winged logos. The tribunal singled out brands such as Bentley and Mini, which have long used their own wing-inspired badges. Aston Martin was then ordered to pay Geely £2,200 ($2,900) in legal costs.

The following year, the Chinese conglomerate bought a 17% stake in Aston Martin for £234 million ($310 million), making it one of the company’s largest shareholders.

Despite that connection, Aston Martin has now appealed the earlier decision to the UK Court of Appeal in the hope of having the logos blocked again. Aston says protecting its intellectual property is a priority and declined to discuss the case further. Geely, meanwhile, insists this is just a routine trademark dispute and says it remains committed to maintaining a professional relationship with Aston Martin.

Geely’s Logo For The New Subsidiary London EV Company

• Also See: Aston Martin Vanquish Celebrates 25 Years Of Existence