Former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace in trademark row with Glenfiddich whisky

Former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is facing a trademark violation case from whisky brand Glenfiddich after setting up a company called Glenfiddich Consulting Ltd.

The backstory is unusual. Wallace used whisky brand names as codenames during discussions with his Ukrainian counterpart following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "Glenfiddich" was the codename for the Next Generation Light Anti-Tank weapon. He would text the Ukrainian foreign minister saying "I've got some whisky for you" when shipments were on the way.

The codename clearly stuck. When Wallace left the Commons in 2024, he registered Glenfiddich Consulting Ltd at Companies House, listed as a business involved in "foreign affairs."

The trademark claim

William Grant & Sons, which has owned the Glenfiddich whisky brand since 1886, filed a case at the High Court claiming the company name breaches their intellectual property rights. The claim includes "passing off," which requires showing that the public identifies the name Glenfiddich with the whisky brand, and that someone else using the name could cause confusion or damage.

Wallace has said he believes the case is no longer going ahead, but the whisky maker hasn't confirmed this.

What this case illustrates

This dispute highlights one of the most common trademark misunderstandings in UK business: registering a company name at Companies House does not give you trademark rights, and it doesn't protect you from infringing someone else's trademark.

Companies House will accept almost any company name that isn't already taken on their register. They don't check the trademark register. You can incorporate "Glenfiddich Consulting Ltd" without any objection from Companies House, even though Glenfiddich is one of the most recognised whisky brands in the world.

But the trademark register is a different matter entirely. If your company name conflicts with an existing registered trademark, the trademark owner can take legal action, regardless of whether Companies House approved your incorporation.

The lesson for every UK business

Before you register a company name, check the trademark register. Before you launch a brand, check the trademark register. Before you name a product, check the trademark register.

It takes 60 seconds. TMGuard's free brand check tool scans over 2.8 million UK trademarks instantly. It could save you from the kind of legal dispute that turns a clever codename into an expensive problem.