Trademark battle over Parimatch ends as court finds no conspiracy, however condemns deceptive tactics.
The England and Wales High Court dismissed key claims by Abudantia BV against entities linked to Parimatch. The case involved the termination of a joint venture operating in the Turkish grey market. The judgment was issued last week.
The ruling marks the end of a prolonged legal battle between the B2B offshore gaming supplier and Parimatch, involving a trademark deal for an online gambling site and separate allegations of misconduct. Ultimately, the court ruled in Parimatch’s favor regarding the termination of the trademark deal and cleared the company of any conspiracy to harm the business.
However, despite Parimatch’s legal victory, the court strongly criticized its executives’ actions. Justice Dias stated that, at some point, it becomes necessary to “call a spade a spade.” The company’s strategy was designed to fabricate an illusion of intellectual property infringement, despite no actual violation occurring. Parimatch deliberately created a misleading paper trail to distance itself from questionable activities in the Turkish market, allowing it to falsely claim ignorance of any unauthorized operations. The court found this stance both misleading and disingenuous.
The dispute revolved around a Trademark Licensing Agreement (TLA) between Abudantia and Fastron, a company affiliated with Parimatch. By 2020, Parimatch had grown from a small Ukrainian brand into a multi-million-dollar global enterprise, with ambitions to expand into the lucrative Turkish-speaking market. However, due to regulatory uncertainties and licensing risks, the company opted for an indirect approach to enter the region.
