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4h ago

Germany's Federal Court Rules 'Miss Moneypenny' Not Protected as a Work Title

The judgment says the Bond secretary lacks the autonomy required for title protection under German law.

Das Foto zeigt eine Filmszene aus dem Film "The Spy Who Loved Me" mit Lois Maxwell und Roger Moore als Miss Moneypenny und James Bond.
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Overview

  • The Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe upheld the Hamburg Higher Regional Court’s decision, rejecting claims of Werktitelschutz for the character (Az. I ZR 219/24).
  • Moneypenny Verwaltungs GmbH may continue promoting secretarial and personal-assistant services under "Moneypenny" and "My Moneypenny" in Germany.
  • Judges found no consistent visual design or special character traits that would give Miss Moneypenny an unmistakable, individualized personality.
  • The court reiterated that fictional figures can receive title protection only if they achieve independent recognizability, citing examples such as Pippi Longstocking and Obelix.
  • Rights tied to the Bond films have, according to reports, been taken over by Amazon, which assumed the lawsuit in Germany, while broader trademark matters around James Bond proceed separately.