James Bond won’t die on my watch, says Austrian who wants ownership of 007

“James Bond will not die on our watch,” the businessman challenging the ownership of the rights to 007’s name has said, claiming he is motivated by concerns about the future of the multibillion-pound global spy franchise.

The Guardian revealed on Friday that Josef Kleindienst, the Austrian property developer who is building a $5bn luxury resort complex called the Heart of Europe on six artificial islands off Dubai, is challenging the trademark ownership of the James Bond name in the UK and the European Union.

Nearly all the trademark challenges relate to the merchandising of goods and services under the Bond name, which can be challenged after five years of “non-use” under trademark law.

Daniel Craig revealed his retirement as James Bond in November 2019, two years before the release of most recent film, No Time to Die. With no announcement since of his replacement or timeline for production of the next film, the 63-year-old franchise is on track to beat the previous longest gap between instalments of six years and four months.

Kleindienst said: “We and many, many more fans are disappointed to see and understand how James Bond is being treated. Our concern is certainly to ensure that the James Bond as we know him stays alive and that there are further experiences with him. We have decided to invest and support, letting today’s fans and future generations enjoy James Bond.”

The developer plans to make a fuller announcement about his commercial intentions behind the rights challenges.

Kleindienst has also filed trademark cancellation filings relating to the use of the James Bond name in films and video. However, experts believe that given the long history that Eon, the rights owners and Bond film producers, have in this sector any rights challenge in that area is likely to fail.

Nevertheless, Kleindienst argues that the “whole situation” that the Bond franchise has become mired in is a worry to all 007 fans.

Eon, which is run by Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson and has a base in Pinewood Studios, has control over the film franchise, down to selecting the actor to play the lead role. MGM, which co-owns the rights to the Bond films, was acquired by Amazon for $8.5bn in 2021, the year No Time to Die hit cinemas.

Since then the franchise has ground to a halt, with articles suggesting that Broccoli did not hit it off with Amazon executives and that a standoff has put future Bond projects on ice. Claims of a rift with Eon were denied by Jennifer Salke, the global head of Amazon MGM Studios, in a Guardian interview last year.

“We are looking at the whole situation and are concerned,” said a spokesperson for Kleindienst. “The falling commercial success, knowing that a fall will ultimately lead to death. Which we want to prevent. Under no circumstances should the next film be the last. The next film is not yet in sight but [there are] also other fundamental issues.”

The James Bond trademarks are registered to the US-based company Danjaq, which controls the rights to worldwide traditional James Bond merchandising in conjunction with Eon.

Danjaq also co-owns the copyright to the existing James Bond films, along with MGM Studios.

Kleindeinst claims that a plan needs to be made to resolve the growing disconnect that is developing between Bond fans fuelled by the drought of 007 content in the global market.

“All of this could mean that James Bond as we know and love him will no longer exist,” said Kleindienst’s spokesperson. “But even more worrying than the relationship between the administrators of James Bond is their relationship with those who make up James Bond, his fanbase.

“Turning the tide and keeping James Bond alive will only work with the fans and their involvement, to secure the future of James Bond as we know him, and as we all love him. We see this as our task, and our investment is aimed at creating real touchpoints with the fans and involving them.”

Eon and Danjaq did not respond to a request for comment.