Chelsea FC has become embroiled in a trademark dispute with a local software company, Chelsea AI Ventures, demanding it change its name and branding. The club's legal representatives sent a cease and desist letter to the firm's founder, Ben Auffarth, in August, a story first reported by The Athletic. nytimes.com first reported the story.
Chelsea currently sit fourth in the Premier League with six points from three games, three points behind leaders Manchester City. Their next challenge is a home match against third-placed Hull City on September 12, a key fixture in their early-season standings push.
What did Chelsea FC's letter demand?
The letter, sent by intellectual property specialists Abion on behalf of Chelsea Football Club Limited on August 13, claimed the use of 'Chelsea AI Ventures' was 'highly similar' to the club's protected trademarks. It argued this could confuse consumers and allow the company to 'take unfair advantage of and free-ride on' the Chelsea brand. The club demanded Auffarth agree to a series of terms by August 27.
These terms included never applying to register any trademark or domain containing 'Chelsea', changing the company's blue-and-white colour scheme, and ceasing all use of 'Chelsea' and 'Chelsea AI Ventures' within one month. Auffarth was also told to file a name change at Companies House within two months and transfer the domain www.chelseaai.co.uk to the club within three. Failure to comply would see the club seek injunctive relief, damages, and legal costs.
How did the AI company founder respond?
Ben Auffarth, a British-German computer scientist who founded Chelsea AI Ventures in early 2025, shared the letter on LinkedIn. He stated his company, located a mile from Stamford Bridge, had never used 'Chelsea' as a standalone brand or claimed any association with the football club. "Isn't it surprising that Chelsea FC maintains a trademark on hundreds of different goods and services, including software?" Auffarth said. "For the record: we’re an AI technology/venture business."
He argued that 'Chelsea' is a place name used by many organisations, like the Chelsea Flower Show and the Royal Hospital Chelsea, with no connection to the club. Auffarth felt the letter was aggressive. "If I’d lost the email address and domain name I’d spent months building, it could have lost me leads and business opportunities," he said.
What are the precedents for such disputes?
This is not the first time a major entity has tried to protect a geographic name. The long-running 'Iceland v Iceland Foods' trademark dispute began in 2002 and saw the Icelandic government successfully challenge the supermarket chain's EU trademark. In 2019, the UK Intellectual Property Office ruled Liverpool FC could not trademark the name of the city itself. More recently, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rejected the Oakland Athletics' attempt to trademark 'Las Vegas Athletics' as too generic.
Chelsea FC has protected the 'Chelsea FC' trademark across a vast range of areas and the word 'Chelsea' for goods including football kit, merchandise, schools, and software. You can view this season's squad defending the club's on-field reputation on our squad page.
What was the outcome of the dispute?
Chelsea Football Club declined to comment on the matter. However, Auffarth's legal representative agreed to change the company's colour scheme and promised never to use 'Chelsea' on its own in any documents, marketing, or products. The club's strong start to the season, having scored eight goals but conceded seven, adds off-field intrigue to their on-field campaign. Their next home game at Stamford Bridge is against Hull City on September 12.
