Swedish operator ATG has been ordered to pay over SEK10m in legal costs after losing a trademark battle against several clothing retailers.
Swedish racing operator AB Trav och Galopp (ATG) has been ordered to pay more than SEK10m (€870,000) in legal costs after losing a trademark battle against several clothing retailers.
The Patent and Market Court of Appeal at Sweden’s Svea Court of Appeal overturned a 2023 lower court ruling, which had initially favoured ATG in its dispute with LeeWrangler Sweden AB, Dressmann AB, and Wrangler Apparel Corp.
The case centred on Wrangler’s use of “ATG” in a clothing collection sold across the world between 2019 and 2021.
ATG, which had registered “ATG” as an EU trademark for clothing in November 2018, initially won its case in the Patent and Market Court at Stockholm District Court.
The gaming company had taken legal action after Wrangler and Dressmann continued selling the collection despite receiving warning letters alleging trademark infringement.
However, the appellate court has now completely rejected ATG’s claims, finding no risk of confusion between the different marks and their associated characteristics.
The ruling, which cannot be appealed, requires ATG to cover the substantial legal costs incurred by all three defendant companies across two court actions.
The ruling becomes legally binding immediately, allowing Wrangler and its retail partners to continue using “ATG” in their clothing collections without restriction.
The case comes to a conclusion following reports at the end of last year the Swedish government was mulling handing over its remaining shares in ATG to the company’s owners.
The proposal was included as part of a government bill to wind-down all of Sweden’s remaining land-based casinos.