James Bond won’t die on my watch, says Austrian who wants 007 ownership

LONDON: A Businessman is challenging the ownership of the James Bond name, citing concerns for the future of the multibillion-dollar franchise.

Josef Kleindienst, an Austrian property developer, is taking on the rights to the James Bond name in the UK and the European Union. He claims that his decision is motivated by a desire to ensure the continued existence of the James Bond character and to provide future experiences for fans, reported the Guardian.

Kleindienst recently filed a trademark challenge related to the merchandising of goods and services under the Bond name. According to trademark law, the trademark can be challenged after five years of “non-use.” It’s worth noting that most trademark challenges are related to the merchandising of goods and services under the Bond name.

Daniel Craig announced his retirement as James Bond in November 2019. Since then, there has been no official announcement about his replacement or the timeline for the production of the next film. The current situation may result in the franchise experiencing its longest gap between instalments, surpassing the previous record of six years and four months.

The businessman claims that he and many other fans are disheartened by the current state of the James Bond franchise and believe that a plan must be put in place to resolve the growing disconnect between Bond enthusiasts and the administrators of the franchise. Kleindienst stated, “We and many, many more fans are disappointed to see and understand how James Bond is being treated. Our concern is certainly to ensure that the James Bond as we know him stays alive and that there are further experiences with him.”

Kleindienst’s commercial intentions behind the trademark challenge have yet to be fully disclosed, however, it’s understood that the businessman plans to announce his plans in the coming days.

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Kleindienst has also filed trademark cancellation filings relating to the use of the James Bond name in films and video. Despite the fact that experts believe that Eon, the rights owners and Bond film producers, have a long history in this sector, and any rights challenge in that area is likely to fail, Kleindienst remains hopeful that his efforts will yield positive results.

Eon, a UK-based production company, is responsible for producing the James Bond films and has control over the franchise down to selecting the actor to play the lead role.

Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson run Eon, and the company is based at Pinewood Studios. Eon is joined by its partner, MGM, which co-owns the rights to the Bond films. In 2021, Amazon acquired MGM for $8.5 billion, and following the sale, the Bond film franchise has come to a grinding halt. Claims of a rift between Eon and Amazon have been denied, with some suggesting that the two parties have been unable to reach a mutually beneficial agreement.

A spokesperson for Kleindienst stated, “We are looking at the whole situation and are concerned… The falling commercial success, knowing that a fall will ultimately lead to death is something that we want to prevent. Under no circumstances should the next film be the last. The next film is not yet in sight, but there are also other fundamental issues.”

The James Bond trademarks are registered to Danjaq, a US-based company that controls the rights to worldwide traditional James Bond merchandising in conjunction with Eon. Danjaq also co-owns the copyright to the existing James Bond films, along with MGM Studios.

Kleindienst believes that a resolution must be found to address the growing disconnection between Bond fans and the administration of the franchise, which he fears could result in the demise of the beloved character.

A spokesperson for Kleindienst also emphasized the need for the involvement of Bond fans in securing the future of the franchise, stating “Turning the tide and keeping James Bond alive will only work with the fans and their involvement, to secure the future of James Bond as we know him, and as we all love him. We see this as our task, and our investment is aimed at creating real touchpoints with the fans and involving them.”