Spa-Francorchamps Blocks Infiniti’s Trademarking of Eau Rouge

It seems as though the board of directors of Spa-Francorchamps is not happy with the fact that a car is about to bear the name of one of its most famous turns: Infiniti recently tried to obtain marketing rights to the Eau Rouge name, only to face a rebuttal from the circuit’s owners.

According to Pierre-Alain Thibaut, president of the circuit: “It’s like they want to steal the brand from the circuit. We consider it exactly the opposite of fair play.”

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The Japanese automaker recently obtained the rights to the name in Japan. In response, Spa-Francorchamps trademarked Eau Rouge in Europe.

This looks like the start of a long and arduous legal battle for Infiniti. The manufacturer may even have to change the name of their car. No matter, since the vehicle will stay the same: 560 horsepower from the Nissan GT-R’s 3.8 litre twin-turbo V6, four-wheel drive, luxurious interior…

And by the way, seeing the name of your track (or part of it) on the back of a high-performance sedan is far from the worst that could happen: ask the Sebring International Raceway how they feel about Chrysler’s use of their name…