Commodore International sues Italy-based firm in major trademark showdown over classic brand
The long-dormant Commodore International Corporation is now back in the limelight. However, the company is embroiled in a trademark dispute. On December 13, Commodore International Corporation issued legal action against Italy-based Commodore Industries S.r.l., stating that the latter’s trademark registrations are invalid.
Commodore International Corporation filed the lawsuit in the European Intellectual Property Office and Italian courts. The company is hoping to nullify Commodore Industries’ trademark and related variants.
The company claims that these trademarks were improperly issued in 2017 by the original brand’s custodians. This escalation occurred when the company’s Italian counterpart challenged the American firm’s trademark rights.
John Errico, legal counsel for Commodore International, stated in an announcement, “Our decision to pursue this legal action is not taken lightly.” He further continued:
Commodore International Corporation has a responsibility to protect its legacy and preserve the community’s trust in the original Commodore name. We have a deep commitment to safeguarding the brand against unlicensed and unapproved products, and protecting the Commodore trademarks from unlicensed use is paramount.
Our decision to pursue this legal action is not taken lightly, and comes only after all other reasonable methods to resolve this matter have been exhausted. Our focus is on preventing the Commodore name from being used in ways that could confuse the community or the marketplace.
We recognize and deeply value the passion and dedication of the Commodore community, who have kept the spirit of the brand alive for decades. Our goal is to protect the legacy and to foster a positive, creative environment for all who love Commodore, past, present, and future.”
This development comes months after what Commodore describes as an outreach of “good faith” to negotiate collaborations, including overtures that Italy-based Commodore Industries had allegedly ignored.
The company further stated that it would no longer publicly comment on the matter as legal proceedings are underway. However, the company did mention that “parties interested in creating officially licensed Commodore products and experiences will be able to begin the conversation with CIC in the coming weeks, when an official Licensing Pipeline tool launches.”
The timing of this lawsuit is critical, considering CIC is currently midway through shipping pre-orders for the C64 Ultimate, a modern take on the classic Commodore 64 computer, with the first batches of the BASIC Beige and Starlight Editions having started toward the end of 2025.
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