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Lewis Hamilton is arguably the greatest driver to ever grace a Formula One track.

He recently equalled Michael Schumacher with his seventh world championship title, and a deep dive into the stats suggests that he has more than earned his right to be compared with the German great.

That success on the track hasn’t equated to success on the legal front, and Hamilton recently lost a three-year trademark battle with a watchmaker.

Swiss group Hamilton International has been making watches since 1892, and in 2017 it trademarked the name ‘Hamilton’ across Europe.

More below via the Telegraph:

Trademark ruling bodies concluded Hamilton, who won his seventh title at Sunday’s Turkish Grand Prix, had no “natural right” to protect his “common” surname.

44IP, a firm located in Malta and established by the driver to oversee his image rights, claimed Hamilton International registered the name in “bad faith” and to prevent competition.

However the watchmaker was able to provide proof that it had sold products bearing the legend of its company name since its establishment in 1892.

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) subsequently refused the request submitted by 44IP for the trademark to be voided.

You can’t win them all, Lewis.

In handing down the ruling, EUIPO stressed that Hamilton International, with its headquarters in the famous watchmaking town of Biel, Switzerland, had been using ‘Hamilton’ for close to a century by the time the British driver was born.

Tough to come back from that point, really.

44IP, on behalf of the driver, has been attempting to trademark his name for a line of goods that includes jewellery, watches, and smartwatches.

On the watch front, beaten to the mark by around 130 years.

44IP was also ordered to pay Hamilton International £893 for legal costs accrued during proceedings.

Forbes estimates that Lewis Hamilton made around £40 million last year, so he should be able to cover it.

[source:telegraph]