Scottish Premiership side Rangers won a "long-running legal battle against a street trader" who wanted to stop the club from trademarking its "RFC" logo, according to Stuart MacDonald of the SCOTSMAN. The club applied to register the letters as an official trademark for selling merchandise and to "stop others cashing in on them." However, Rangers faced opposition from Russell Campbell, a street vendor in Glasgow who sells unofficial Rangers merchandise. He claimed the letters "RFC" were not exclusive to the Glasgow club "as they had been used by rugby football clubs for many years" and said that the club "should not be allowed a monopoly on them." Campbell also claimed he "could face criminal prosecution if the club were allowed to trademark the initials." The U.K. Intellectual Property Office ruled in favor of the Ibrox club last year and ordered Campbell to pay Rangers £800 toward its legal costs in the case. He challenged that decision and was "granted an appeal hearing" by the IPO but the lawyer overseeing the appeal, Daniel Alexander, has "thrown out the case." The IPO's decision means Rangers "may be able to take action against any traders" selling goods with the "RFC" logo on them without permission (SCOTSMAN, 10/10).
