UK carmaker loses MG logo battle

19 February 2010

A British company has lost its legal battle to use the famous MG trademark after a judge ruled it belonged to a Chinese manufacturer.

Sports and Racing Europe, based in Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire, had been using MG's iconic octagonal logo on its MG X Power sports cars since MG Rover failed.

However, Nanjing Automobile Corporation (NAC), who bought MG Rover's assets from administrators in 2005, claimed it also had the rights to the company's logo and trademarks.

High Court judge Sir William Blackburne rejected the British company's argument that NAC had never acquired the rights for the MG X Power brand.

He ruled that Sports and Racing Europe had no entitlement to them and was infringing NAC's trademarks, and ordered it to stop using the logo and name.

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