Automobile Club De L’Ouest (Aco) v Omologato Ltd & Anor

Facts

The claimant, Automobile Club de l'Ouest, is a French non-profit organisation which organises the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance motor race. The first defendant, Omologato Limited, designs and markets watches by reference to the signs LE MANS, LM and LMR; the second defendant, Mr Shami Kalra, is a director of Omologato and acted in person. The claimant sued for infringement of three registered marks — an international registration for LM (the '529 Mark), a UK word and device mark for LE MANS with a race-track device (the '709 Mark), and a stylised mark for 24H LE MANS (the '453 Mark) — relying on sections 10(1), 10(2) and 10(3) of the Trade Marks Act, and sought to invalidate a mark for LMR which Mr Kalra had registered personally after receiving a letter before action. Passing off was pleaded initially but no longer relied on. The list of issues was approved by HHJ Hacon at a case management conference on 23 October 2025, liability having been split from quantum. On 14 January 2026 HHJ Hacon stayed the matter for mediation and re-listed the trial. The defendants applied on 24 July 2026 to adjourn on grounds of Mr Kalra's ill health; he did not attend the trial.