Red Bull in trademark dispute with English gin firm Bullards

Bullards bosses say they are prepared to go to court over the matter

A small gin-maker threatened with legal action by global energy drinks firm Red Bull over the use of the word 'bull' in its name says it will fight the case.

Norwich-based Bullards was told there was a "likelihood of confusion on behalf of the public" as both brand names "include the term bull".

Red Bull is opposing an application to register the mark Bullards before the UK Intellectual Property Office.

Bullards, originally founded in 1837, said the claim was "ludicrous".

In response, Red Bull told the BBC: "We do not believe it appropriate to comment on a current legal case."

In a legal letter to Bullards, Red Bull said it was "prepared to resolve this dispute" if Bullards deleted a series of goods and services from its trademark application and registration, including energy drinks, events and non-alcoholic beverages.

"Our client recognises that your client's brand stems from a historical family business and so it has asked us to highlight that it does not want to prevent your client from doing anything it has historically done," the letter said.

"What they're claiming is ludicrous," said Russell Evans of Bullards.

"There is no confusion whatsoever and actually if we did concede we would be admitting there was."

Red Bull said it was concerned about "the breadth of goods and services" in Bullards' trademark registration and application

Mr Evans said Red Bull had not said his firm had to stop using the Bullards name for its gin.

"But they're saying we can't do events, we can't do soft drinks, which we are going to do because we're going to do tonics, we can't do energy drinks - not that we would ever want to do energy drinks," he said.

He added it would cost "thousands of pounds" to remove the goods and services listed in the letter and accused Red Bull of "trying to bully us".

"If needs be we'll go to court and let's see what a court of law has to say on it," he said.

Bullards was founded in 1837, making beer and importing wine and spirits, before it was taken over by national brewery Watneys in 1963.

The Bullards name was revived in 2015, with the company focusing on gin.

Austrian firm Red Bull was launched in 1987.

In 2013, Red Bull threatened the brewery Redwell Brewing in Norwich with legal action due to its name starting with 'Red' and ending with 'll', before apparently backing down, saying there was "no dispute".