Updated, Thursday, 7 August 2025 with Press Release from Aviator LLC
BREAKING: SPRIBE wins UK injunction
SPRIBE has achieved a momentous legal victory by securing an interim injunction from the UK High Court on 1 August 2025, which prevents Georgian company Aviator LLC from launching or marketing its copycat crash game in the United Kingdom.
The UK High Court’s decision represents a triumph for SPRIBE, the pioneering developer behind the world’s most successful crash game. “The order was granted to protect SPRIBE’s award-winning Aviator game,” according to an official SPRIBE press release issued today, highlighting the court’s recognition of the game’s innovative contribution to the gaming sector.
“Childlike” and “petulant”
According to the same press release, during the “proceedings and elsewhere, Aviator LLC has provided conflicting and contradictory evidence. At the hearing Aviator LLC sought to evade responsibility for this matter, including attempting to misdirect the UK Court by obscuring its role through the creation of a shifting network of licensing entities, denying previously stated plans to enter the UK market and refusing to provide key evidence. This led to Aviator LLC’s conduct being described by the Court as ‘childlike’ and ‘petulant’.”
The result is a validation of SPRIBE’s intellectual property rights, at least in the UK, with the order specifically designed to shield the award-winning Aviator game, a staple of multiplayer gaming, played by more than 42 million enthusiasts every month worldwide. The game has become synonymous with the crash gaming sector, allowing Spribe to sign partnerships with major entertainment brands including UFC, WWE, and AC Milan.
“I am pleased that the highly respected UK Court supports our position and has granted an injunction preventing Aviator LLC from launching and promoting its copycat game. SPRIBE created the Aviator crash game in 2018 and is the sole owner of the game globally. We will continue to take all necessary steps globally to protect SPRIBE, our partners and players from any third parties who seek to undermine or infringe our rights.” – SPRIBE’s founder, David Natroshvili.
Chain of bad faith actions
Spribe’s Press Release seeks to set the record straight. It continues:
“This activity by Aviator LLC forms part of a continuing chain of bad faith actions by Georgian businessman Temur Ugulava, who is behind Aviator LLC and a series of connected companies, aimed at exploiting the commercial success and international reputation of SPRIBE’s brand.
“Unfounded and opportunistic claims were launched in the Georgian courts last year by Aviator LLC, seeking to expropriate – for the territory of Georgia only – the Aviator branding and logo used by SPRIBE. The flawed Georgian ruling followed an unusually rapid and procedurally flawed legal process in a jurisdiction where concerns around judicial independence and transparency have been widely documented.
“SPRIBE continues firmly to reject these claims brought by Aviator LLC, which related solely to the use of a specific logo and branding in Georgia and did not concern ownership of the Aviator game itself. SPRIBE’s trademarks remain valid and protected outside of Georgia, including in the EU and UK.
“SPRIBE is aware that Aviator LLC and companies affiliated to it (such as Aviator Studio Group or AviGroup) have directly contacted SPRIBE customers, falsely claiming to be the owner of the intellectual property rights in the branding of SPRIBE’s Aviator game, whilst at the same time promoting their own copycat version of it. These claims are bogus. The Aviator game, including its features, branding and intellectual property, are entirely created and owned by SPRIBE. SPRIBE will continue to take all necessary steps to defend its rights against any third parties who seek to undermine or infringe them.
“Aviator LLC has also sought to use the flawed ruling in Georgia to launch spurious proceedings elsewhere. Such claims are without merit and will be vigorously defended.”
Implications for global IP enforcement
The injunction demonstrates the UK’s commitment to protecting legitimate intellectual property rights against what courts increasingly recognise as bad faith trademark registrations. The timing of this victory is particularly strategic for SPRIBE, providing crucial momentum for SPRIBE’s global IP protection strategy.
Will this legal victory accelerate SPRIBE’s expansion plans? It is likely, particularly in regulated markets where IP protection is crucial for long-term commercial success. The company’s ability to defend its flagship product is likely to enhance investor confidence and support continued innovation investment.
The ruling also demonstrates the practical effectiveness of the UK’s intellectual property framework in addressing contemporary challenges. The court’s swift action in granting interim relief shows the system’s capacity to provide much-needed protection against threats to commercial interests.
This precedent will likely encourage other jurisdictions to adopt similar approaches, potentially creating a more coherent international framework for gaming IP protection. The UK’s leadership in this area reflects its broader commitment to supporting innovation-based industries in the post-Brexit economy.
Continuing legal battles
This ruling should strengthen SPRIBE’s resolve as its international dispute continues across multiple jurisdictions. The company faces ongoing challenges at the European Union Intellectual Property Office, where Aviator LLC has filed invalidation actions against SPRIBE’s European trademarks. The European proceedings will test whether the UK precedent influences continental European decision-making or whether different legal traditions produce divergent outcomes.
Ultimately, the case marks a turning point for gaming IP protection. If this trend continues, developers everywhere could soon find a more united, assertive front against infringement. For SPRIBE, the journey is ongoing but this victory goes a long way to strengthen their position at the forefront of the new era of gaming innovation and IP rights enforcement.
UPDATE August 7, 2025 – Aviator LLC issued a press release dated 6 August 2025, challenging SPRIBE’s characterisation of the court decision.
According to Nikoloz Gogilidze, the lawyer representing Aviator LLC, SPRIBE is attempting to mislead the industry by portraying the interim injunction as a substantive legal victory. Aviator LLC emphasises that the injunction has “no legal effect because there was no decision on the merits of the case, which will be determined at trial”.
The company argues that Aviator LLC had no existing plans to enter the UK market and that obtaining the necessary UK Gambling Commission license typically takes around a year – a timeline that would likely extend beyond the trial date.
Aviator LLC claims that SPRIBE’s request for broader restrictions was largely unsuccessful, with the court rejecting attempts to prevent Aviator LLC from using the “Aviator” name or asserting its copyright ownership.
Aviator LLC has indicated its intention to “vigorously enforce its intellectual property rights across all relevant jurisdictions” as the legal dispute continues.
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