MOSCOW, February 10 (RAPSI) – Russia’s Intellectual Property Court (IP Court) has returned a cassation appeal to entrepreneur Azamat Ibatullin, who sought a reversal of a judgement in favor of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in a dispute over legal protection of Top Gear trademark, according to the court records.

The IP Court left the appeal without action on December 30, 2019, citing paperwork irregularities; however, the businessman failed to timely react to this decision, the records read.

In March 2018, Rospatent granted Ibatullin’s request to cancel legal protection of Top Gear trademark. According to the applicant, the trademark of BBC is confusingly similar to the TopGear one registered in his name. Moreover, the economic classification of goods in these two cases is identical. Rospatent ruled in favor of the entrepreneur.

BBC appealed against the ruling. And in late January 2019, the IP Court dismissed the appeal. However, the court’s Presidium in May reversed the first instance’s decision and ordered reconsideration of the case.

During the retrial, the court took the side of BBC. The businessman disagreed with the ruling and appealed it as well.

Top Gear, a famous motorizing TV show, was launched in Great Britain in 1977. Today, BBC Two channel broadcasts it in Great Britain.