The UK High Court extended interim protection to Spribe’s Aviator game on Monday, blocking the rival title from expanding across three markets. The main trial is now scheduled for October 2027.
Spribe Aviator interim protection now blocks the rival game from new platforms in Colombia, Serbia and Romania. Launches in Canada and Italy require advance notice to Spribe first. The trial has moved up from spring 2028 to October 2027.
- The Court’s Confusion Finding
- What the Injunction Actually Blocks
- Brazil Reverses Spribe’s Position
- October 2027 Trial and Next Steps
The UK High Court extended interim protection to Spribe’s Aviator game on Monday. The order targets two Georgian companies, both named Aviator LLC, and Malta-based Aviator Studios companies. They cannot add platforms for the game in Colombia, Serbia or Romania during the case. In Canada and Italy, both must give Spribe advance notice of any launch.
Interim protection is a temporary measure. It does not decide whether the rival game infringes Spribe’s rights, constitutes passing off or amounts to unfair competition. The ruling stops the game expanding while the court works out what the evidence actually shows.
The Court’s Confusion Finding
Spribe, an Estonia-based developer, says its Aviator Crash Game is being copied. Players watch a multiplier climb during a simulated flight and cash out before it lands. The copycat uses the same name and near-identical logos. The judge said the two games were very likely to confuse customers and could pull players away from Spribe’s brand.
The court added that promoting a similar name and logo in a market where a competitor has already built a substantial reputation was unlikely to be consistent with honest commercial practices. Spribe launched Aviator Crash Game in Georgia in 2019 and reached the UK by 2021, seeking copyright in that same year. The alleged copycat entered the market in March 2025, two years into Spribe’s build-up.
AGBrief has tracked the Spribe Aviator dispute across jurisdictions since the interim order was first issued.
What the Spribe Aviator Injunction Actually Blocks
The order is narrower than a full victory. It stops the game reaching new platforms in Colombia, Serbia and Romania, and makes Canadian and Italian launches conditional on notice. Spribe can now pursue international claims inside the UK proceedings instead of filing separate cases in each market. Those claims cover South Africa, Kenya, Mexico, Canada, Italy, Colombia, Ghana, Romania and Serbia.
The Maltese courts have already granted an order covering EU countries, while the earlier UK injunction blocked the game in Britain. The judge allowed Spribe to add counterclaims for passing off and unfair competition. Passing off is a claim that a business has misdescribed its goods or services in a way likely to make customers think they come from another company. The court also asked for a fast track to trial because the rival games are already trading.
Brazil Reverses Spribe’s Position
The picture is not one-sided. Earlier this year, Brazil revoked Spribe’s preliminary injunction, a measure equivalent to interim protection. Judge Andrea Epaminondas Tenorio de Brito ruled that the legal and factual basis for the order had changed. The Federal Court in Brasília had provisionally suspended the legal effects of Spribe’s Aviator trademark registration in Brazil, and the Pernambuco Court held that its earlier decision assumed the registration was fully valid.
Article 296 of the Brazilian Code of Civil Procedure required the revocation after that substantial change. The result is a split jurisdictional position: interim protection still stands in the UK and Malta, while Brazil has opened the door to the rival game.
October 2027 Trial and Next Steps
The main trial now falls in October 2027, moved forward from spring 2028. The judge cited the risk to both sides while the rival games remain available and the existing UK injunction already limits the Aviator parties. Spribe founder David Natroshvili said the ruling recognises the confusion the copycat has caused and sent a message that brands cannot rely on borders to hide behind.
iGaming Business has covered Spribe’s UK interim injunction and the Brazil reversal since the case began.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the UK High Court decide about Spribe Aviator?
The court extended interim protection to Spribe, blocking the rival game from new platforms in Colombia, Serbia and Romania. The Aviator parties must also give Spribe advance notice before launching in Canada or Italy. The ruling does not decide whether the game infringes Spribe’s rights.
Why is the court finding confusion?
Both games use the name Aviator and similar logos. The judge said customers are very likely to be confused and may be diverted from Spribe. Promoting a confusingly similar name and logo where a competitor has built a reputation was unlikely to meet honest commercial practices.
Can Spribe sue in other markets under the UK ruling?
Yes. Spribe can pursue international claims within the existing UK proceedings. The claims cover South Africa, Kenya, Mexico, Canada, Italy, Colombia, Ghana, Romania and Serbia. It also added counterclaims for passing off and unfair competition, with a fast track to trial.
Why was the trial moved up to October 2027?
The judge wanted a faster resolution because the rival games are already trading and the interim injunction blocks launches in the UK. The original date was spring 2028. October 2027 limits consumer harm and gives both sides a clearer endgame.
Why did Brazil revoke Spribe’s injunction?
The Federal Court in Brasília provisionally suspended the legal effects of Spribe’s Aviator trademark registration in Brazil. Pernambuco Court then held that the grounds for the preliminary injunction had changed substantially under Article 296 of the Brazilian Code of Civil Procedure, and revoked it.
This article has been thoroughly researched and reviewed by the CasinoBait editorial team to ensure accuracy and relevance for Asian casino players.
