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Former Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has purchased the trademark for ‘The Invincibles’ leading to the 20 year anniversary of the historic achievement. This move has caught Arsenal by surprise as they were unaware of the sale, with the branding rights being purchased for £30,000.
The Invincibles is a reference to Arsenal’s 49 game unbeaten run, starting in May 2003 and finishing in October 2004, which included all 38 games of the 2003-04 league season. Jens Lehmann played a vital role in the unbeaten season, playing in every match, and now has a vital role in the upcoming anniversary celebrations. Lehmann now has full control of the rights for The Invincibles, including clothing- something that Arsenal and sponsor Adidas will have been preparing.
However, Lehmann has done this to protect his former club and has already announced his plans going forwards. Lehmann has announced his intention to donate all profits to charities and is planning reunions, friendly matches, a documentary, and memorabilia. He has said, ““I had the idea because the name ‘Invincibles’ becomes more and more popular approaching the 20th anniversary,
“Nobody had it, so I was looking into it. I was ready to get the branding rights for our group, so everybody who’s using it is violating our brand. The club were probably a little surprised because nobody thought about having the brand name registered. At least they know it’s now being controlled.”
A trade mark is a type of legal protection that distinguishes one company’s goods and services from anothers. The ownership of the trademark will last 10 years and once registered, gives you exclusive rights to use and prevents unauthorised access from others. This gives Lehmann the right to reject anything planned by Arsenal for the anniversary celebrations, and gives him the option to charge Arsenal and anyone else for the use of the trademark-enabling him to raise money for charity. The trademark registration also means Lehmann and other members of the 03-04 Arsenal team do not need to seek permission from the club to organise and partake in celebratory events.
Lehmann has 28 players and 12 staff members who were a part of The Invincibles who are on board with the idea and are currently undergoing the process of starting a company with everyone a shareholder. Arsenal have yet to contest the trademark, with the move being highly unlikely. Coincidentally, German club Bayer Leverkusen are currently on a 48 game winning run (as of 5/5/24) and are looking to become ‘invincibles’ themselves. Because of this the trademark may be more valuable that Lehmann thought and he could take advantage of this in an attempt to maximise the amount donated to charity.
