Aviator LLC Under Suspected Deceitful Tactics in SPRIBE Matters
UK Court Grants Temporary Injunction to Spribe Against Aviator LLC
In a significant development, the UK High Court has granted an interim injunction to Spribe, a gaming company, against Aviator LLC, a Georgian company, on August 1, 2025 [2][3][4][5]. The injunction prevents Aviator LLC from launching or marketing its version of a "crash game" called Aviator in the United Kingdom.
The injunction is intended to protect Spribe’s intellectual property rights over its award-winning Aviator game, which is recognized as a pioneer in the crash gaming sector and is widely played globally [2][4]. However, it is important to note that this injunction is interim, meaning it is temporary and pending the full trial on the merits of the case [1][2].
To secure this injunction, Spribe had to provide an undertaking to compensate Aviator LLC for any damages should the injunction be found wrongly granted in the final trial [1]. Aviator LLC disputes the injunction and claims Spribe is misleading the industry, indicating ongoing contention about the underlying IP rights [1].
Commercially, the injunction is currently of limited impact in the UK market because Aviator LLC has not applied for or obtained a UK Gambling Commission licence, which is a legal prerequisite to offer such games commercially in the UK, and the licensing process typically takes about a year [1]. The Court expressly did not prohibit Aviator LLC or its licensee from applying for such a licence [1].
The Court rejected Spribe’s attempt to secure gagging orders that would have prevented Aviator LLC from using the name “Aviator” or asserting copyright ownership, allowing Aviator LLC to continue certain activities outside the UK market or post-licensing [1].
It is worth noting that the UK claim is based on the same legal grounds as the Georgian case: bad faith trade mark registration (albeit in respect of Spribe's UK trade marks) and copyright infringement [6].
In summary, the interim injunction legally bars Aviator LLC from marketing its game in the UK pending trial, reinforcing Spribe’s current IP claims there. However, its commercial impact is mitigated by licensing delays and can be lifted if Aviator LLC wins at trial. The injunction serves as a temporary legal shield for Spribe’s game while the substantive intellectual property dispute remains unresolved [1][2].
It is crucial to distinguish between an interim injunction granted following a decision on the merits and an interim injunction granted at a preliminary stage, as Spribe's publicity seems to conflate these two distinct legal concepts [7].
References:
- The Lawyer
- Legal Business
- Gambling Insider
- iGB Affiliate
- CasinoBeats
- World Intellectual Property Review
- CalvinAyre
In the ongoing legal battle, Spribe's interim injunction against Aviator LLC restricts the latter from marketing its 'Aviator' game in the United Kingdom's finance sector, particularly in the business of digital gambling. However, the commercial impact of this injunction is limited due to Aviator LLC not having a UK Gambling Commission license and the temporary nature of the injunction.
