Cipriani trade mark dispute closes

A dispute concerning the Cipriani trade mark between London restaurant Cipriani and the owners of the iconic Hotel Cipriani in Venice has closed in the High Court. Iain Purvis QC, counsel for Hotel Cipriani, claimed that significant parts of the evidence of Arrigo Cipriani, the owner of the Mayfair restaurant, were “quite disgraceful” and “completely untrue”. Purvis described the 76-year old as a “fantasist” who had “happily explained” an alleged Italian tax fraud that was alleged to have been involved in “with a twinkle in his eye” – a matter that Purvis argued questioned his credibility. The hotel’s owner, Orient Express Hotels Group (OEHG), is alleging that because of the “confusion” the restaurant’s name has created, the restaurant should be forced to change its name. OEHG’s claim is based upon its ownership of the Cipriani community trade mark in Europe for hotels and restaurants, even though the Cipriani family, which controls the London restaurant, opened the Venice hotel in 1959 before selling it to OEHG in 1976. Arnold J will give judgment at a later date.