Cipriani London told to change name after trademark battle

Cipriani London, the Mayfair restaurant and celebrity haunt, will have to find a new name after losing a trademark battle with the owners of the Hotel Cipriani in Venice.

The High Court decision means that, in effect, Arrigo and Giuseppe Cipriani, the son and grandson of the founder of the Venetian landmark hotel, have been barred by the High Court from using their own name on restaurants in the UK.

Arrigo's father opened Hotel Cipriani in 1958 on the island of Giudecca, a short gondola ride from St Mark's.

But the family sold its stake more than 40 years ago and it is now owned by the Orient-Express Group, which owns a number of luxury hotels including Le Manoir Quat' Saisons in Oxfordshire.

Mr Justice Arnold ruled that the use of the Cipriani name infringed the Orient-Express trademark and could cause confusion. The Cipriani family said it would appeal.

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By Daniel Thomas

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