Settlement Between Flutter and Aviator LLC
Flutter Entertainment and Aviator LLC have reached a settlement in a high-profile trademark and copyright case, ending litigation that had been ongoing in the Georgian Court of the First Instance. As part of the agreement, Aviator LLC will provide branded games to Flutter for global distribution across its platforms. This settlement follows a court ruling in 2023 that ordered Flutter to pay €330 million ($342.5 million) in damages for alleged trademark infringement.
Aviator LLC, owned by former Adjarabet operator Teimuraz Ugulava, had accused Flutter and Spribe of unauthorized use of its Aviator trademark and airplane imagery. Although Flutter initially planned to appeal the ruling, both parties have now resolved their dispute through a long-term commercial partnership.
Nikoloz Gogilidze, Aviator LLC’s legal representative, confirmed that the agreement acknowledges Aviator’s trademark rights and integrates its games into Flutter’s platforms worldwide. The financial terms of the settlement remain confidential, and all ongoing litigation between the two companies has been dropped.
Spribe Remains in Legal Dispute with Aviator LLC
Despite the settlement with Flutter, Aviator LLC continues its legal battle against Spribe, the developer of the Aviator crash game. The dispute is active in multiple jurisdictions, including the European Union Intellectual Property Office and the UK High Court.
Spribe, which pulled its Aviator crash game from the Georgian market in January 2024, maintains that it holds global copyright and trademark rights for the game. In a public statement, Spribe asserted that its intellectual property is legally protected in over 40 jurisdictions, with the game played by more than 35 million users each month.
Spribe further warned that unauthorized third parties were attempting to distribute counterfeit versions of the Aviator game, misleading players and infringing on its intellectual property. The company indicated that legal action could be taken against operators hosting unauthorized versions of the game.
Background of the Dispute
The origins of the legal battle trace back to 2016-2017, when Ugulava first created the Aviator brand and registered it under City Loft LLC. At the time, he controlled Adjarabet, a major online gambling platform, as well as a land-based casino named Aviator. In 2019, Adjarabet launched the Aviator crash game in collaboration with Spribe, with City Loft LLC granting permission for the branding’s use.
Following Flutter’s acquisition of Adjarabet for £100 million ($123 million), Aviator LLC claimed that Spribe modified the Aviator logo and sought international trademark registrations. This led to legal actions by Aviator LLC in 2022, after ownership of the Aviator trademark was transferred from City Loft LLC to Aviator LLC.
Current Legal Landscape
- Flutter and Aviator LLC: The legal dispute has been resolved through a long-term commercial deal, allowing Flutter to market Aviator-branded games globally.
- Aviator LLC and Spribe: The dispute remains active, with legal proceedings ongoing in multiple jurisdictions over the use of the Aviator trademark and imagery.
- Market Impact: The case has raised broader concerns about intellectual property rights within the gaming industry, with companies closely monitoring the outcome of Spribe’s legal battles.
As Aviator LLC continues its legal fight against Spribe, industry observers anticipate further developments regarding trademark ownership and intellectual property enforcement in the online gambling sector.