Axel Springer launches EU reporting with US partner
Axel Springer, in collaboration with its U.S. partner Politico, is expanding its EU coverage and seeking new revenue streams through subscription services for experts in Brussels politics.
The joint venture has bought the magazine European Voice and will publish it under the name "Politico" from spring 2015, both companies announced on Wednesday. A website, a weekly newspaper and a subscription news service are planned.
However, there is a trademark dispute before the launch. This is because Firmenwelten, based in Bielefeld, Germany, registered "Politico" with the German Patent and Trademark Office in August 2013. "We hold the trademark rights in Germany and throughout Europe," Firmenwelten Chairman of the Board of Directors Rainer von Holst told the news agency Reuters. He himself plans to expand the existing online portal Politico24.eu with a political focus this year.
According to Holst, the US company Politico LLC offered to use the "Politico" brand by means of a license agreement for 20 years and two million euros per year. There was no response, but instead Politico LLC sued Firmenwelten for trademark piracy at the Bielefeld Regional Court at the beginning of December.
Springer reacted calmly to the ongoing proceedings, which had previously been reported on by Handelsblatt. "The launch of Politico is in no way threatened by the ongoing legal dispute over trademark rights," said a Springer spokeswoman. Firmenwelten only has the trademark rights for Germany, for the rest of Europe they are held by Politico.
