In a statement, the company’s legal representative, Nikoloz Gogilidze of Mikadze Gegetchkori Taktakishvili, outlined the history of the Aviator trademark that was at the centre of the dispute.
According to the statement, the Aviator name and logo were created in 2016-2017 by Georgian businessman Teimuraz Ugulava.
In 2018, the trademark was officially registered with the Georgian State Trademark Agency by City Loft, a company solely owned by Ugulava.
Initially, the Aviator logo was used for a land-based casino, but it later became associated with the Aviator crash game, which was launched on the Adjarabet platform in January 2019, when Ugulava still owned the company.
When Adjarabet was sold to Flutter Entertainment later in 2019, the rights to the Aviator trademark were not included in the sale. Despite this, Adjarabet and Spribe continued to use the Aviator logo on the platform in Georgia and Armenia until January 2024.
Spribe, which collaborated on the development of the game, also made slight modifications to the logo and began using it internationally.
In 2022, all intellectual property related to the Aviator trademark was transferred from City Loft to Aviator. Aviator then initiated legal action to invalidate Spribe’s use of the modified logo, which had been registered in Georgia and the European Union.
Spribe and Flutter's defense of ownership
In response to the legal developments, both Spribe and Flutter Entertainment have publicly defended their use of the Aviator game and logo. Spribe has maintained that it is the creator of the Aviator game, claiming global intellectual property rights to the game and its logo.
Flutter Entertainment has similarly disputed the Georgian court’s ruling, calling the damages disproportionate and vowing to appeal the decision.
As the legal battle continues, the case highlights the complex nature of intellectual property disputes in the gaming industry, especially when multiple parties are involved in the development and marketing of a product across different jurisdictions.
