Gillett and Hicks accused to trying to steal Liverpool's Liver Bird

Nov 15 2008 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

Liver Bird, on Mersey Chambers

LIVERPOOL Football Club is seeking to trade mark the Liverbird – setting it on a collision course with the city council.

Last night the city council said it was taking urgent legal advice over the matter, but only has until next Saturday to register its opposition with the UK Intellectual Property Office.

Deputy council leader Cllr Flo Clucas last night hit out at the club’s American owners for attempting to “steal” the city’s iconic crest for commercial gain.

“The Liverbird belongs to the whole city: it cannot be bought and sold for private profit,” she said.

Liverpool FC defended the move saying that it was only seeking to trade mark its own version of the Liverbird because the club is losing a “substantial amount of money” each year due to counterfeit merchandise.

A spokesman for the club insisted LFC would not try to prevent the council or other bodies using the Liverbird logo.

However, there is disquiet at the council about pledges made by the club given the record of owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks and their broken promises relating to the new stadium and the debt that has been loaded on to the club by the pair.