Rugby: logo, badges, colors, acronym… after an administrative error, Béziers no longer owns anything

Even if it can make you smile, the affair revealed by the Agglorieuse should be taken seriously. The Béziers club, playing in Pro D2 (second professional division), no longer owns its logo, its colors, its badges as well as its ASBH acronym (Béziers Hérault Sports Association). All these property titles are now in the possession of Constance Calandri, former employee at Béziers town hall and ex-FN candidate in the legislative elections in 2012.

The reason is this: a trademark is protected for 10 years. It is necessary, just before, to carry out a renewal at the risk of all the titles falling into the public domain. And Constance Calandri did not hesitate to submit her file to the INPI (National Institute of Industrial Property).

“It’s true that today, I am the owner of the ASBH brand, verbal and figurative. Figurative means the logo, the badges, the colors. Verbal, it's A, S, B, H. The Béziers Hérault Sports Association. I discovered by chance that no one owned ASBH anymore. I became interested in the club. The city is a shareholder, and therefore all taxpayers are concerned. Before, I had read articles, watched videos. I came across those of Dominici (Christophe, former French international who died in 2020 and was interested in buying the club at one time, Editor's note). In one of his videos, he explains that the logo is of capital importance in the rugby club. I then became interested in its graphic evolution. And one thing led to another, I came across the INPI website,” declared the former employee of the Biter town hall to our colleagues at France Bleu.

Before adding to the media: “And then I discovered that the brand is expired everywhere. I find this curious. That appeals to me. I find that really very weird. That's when I realized that it had been in the public domain since 2020 and is therefore no longer protected. I couldn't believe my eyes at first. Quite frankly, I thought it was dangerous. Especially given everything that happened with the club's problems, the takeover in 2020 with the Emiratis. Everyone could have registered the logo since 2020. It's true, today, I am the guardian of the ASBH, of the logo, of its brand, of its colors. But it was within the reach of everyone, including someone who might have had malicious intentions, which is not my case.”

Accused of “political revenge”, Constance Calandri defends herself: “I will go in the general interest of the club. There is no problem with that. However, I will inform the French Rugby Federation. I will not prevent the club from using it, nor the Biterrois from proclaiming the name of their team in the stadiums. I know there is a very strong attachment, but there is none of that. There is no ulterior motive. There is no political action on my part. Since 2012, I have prioritized my family life. I made the choice to prioritize my children. My approach is a citizen action. I don't think I'll return to politics for the moment. Not immediately. And I did not register the ASBH trademark in anticipation of running for office. It's a big responsibility to be the goalkeeper of a club like Béziers. I am aware of it. It's a bit like a child. Obviously, I will notify the French Federation of this change. It’s the least I can do, I think.”

The Béziers club, currently second in the championship, would have done without such a story before the final sprint for qualification. The ASBH association will file an appeal for fraudulent deposit.

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