{"id":769172,"date":"2025-01-02T12:55:28","date_gmt":"2025-01-02T12:55:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/?p=769172"},"modified":"2025-01-06T16:33:46","modified_gmt":"2025-01-06T16:33:46","slug":"zaha-hadid-architects-must-keep-paying-to-use-name-high-court-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/zaha-hadid-architects-must-keep-paying-to-use-name-high-court-says","title":{"rendered":"Zaha Hadid Architects must keep paying to use name, High Court says"},"content":{"rendered":"

The AJ100 practice\u2019s directors had sought a legal declaration that it should be able to give 12 months\u2019 notice to terminate a contract with the Zaha Hadid Foundation, the charity set up in her name which promotes the late Iraqi-British architect\u2019s work.<\/p>\n

Under an agreement between the practice (the company) and the Zaha Hadid Foundation, the practice must hand over 6 per cent of its income annually to use the trademark \u2018Zaha Hadid\u2019.<\/p>\n

In the latest battle<\/a> between the foundation and the practice, lawyers for the company\u2019s directors had argued that the licensing agreement was \u2018unusual and unreasonable\u2019 and a \u2018restraint\u2019 on trade. At the same time, the practice told the court that Hadid\u2019s name had \u2018diminishing significance\u2019, despite having \u2018significant value historically\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

During a short trial, practice director Charles Walker had told the court: \u2018The concern is the longevity of the business, whether it can sustain this in perpetuity. [It is like] somebody trying to swim with rocks in their pockets.<\/p>\n

\u2018[Although] a strong swimmer might be able to sustain that for a period of time [\u2026 eventually] the burden could become too much for the business.\u2019<\/p>\n

Handing down his decision last week, High Court justice Adam Johnson dismissed the practice\u2019s case and said the agreement did not contain a provision enabling the company to end the licensing deal with the foundation.<\/p>\n

Referring to the practice\u2019s 2023 turnover of \u00a369.4 million, Johnson argued in his decision: \u2018It strikes me as rather counterintuitive to describe [the licensing agreement] as operating in restraint of trade. It looks more like an encouragement to trade.\u2019<\/p>\n

The decision<\/a> also revealed that \u00a321.4 million had been paid by ZHA to the foundation since 2018.<\/p>\n

Patrik Schumacher, Zaha Hadid Architects\u2019 principal director and Hadid\u2019s successor at the practice, could still set up another practice under a different name.<\/p>\n

The latest Companies House documents for ZHA, for the financial year ending 30 April 2023, show the AJ100 big-hitter breaking its annual turnover record<\/a> for the second year in a row.<\/p>\n

The company<\/a>\u00a0(Zaha Hadid Ltd) posted global fee income of \u00a369.4 million for the 12 months to 30 April 2023, up \u00a31.3 million from 2022.<\/p>\n

Responding to the decision, lawyers representing the foundation, Joseph Hage Anderson, told the Financial Times<\/em><\/a> that the decision would \u2018have the effect of upholding Dame Zaha\u2019s intentions and vision for her foundation and its charitable purposes\u2019.<\/p>\n

Michael Anderson, a partner at the law firm, added: \u2018[Zaha Hadid Architects] has had a significant benefit from the use of Dame Zaha\u2019s name, and it should pay for that benefit\u2019, as per the licensing agreement.<\/p>\n

The AJ has approached the practice for comment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The AJ100 practice\u2019s directors had sought a legal declaration that it should be able to give 12 months\u2019 notice to terminate a contract with the Zaha Hadid Foundation, the charity set up in her name which promotes the late Iraqi-British architect\u2019s work. Under an agreement between the practice (the company) and the Zaha Hadid Foundation, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131789,"featured_media":751570,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"ep_exclude_from_search":false},"categories":[681],"tags":[5192,1978,1188,1422],"yoast_head":"\nZaha Hadid Architects must keep paying to use name, High Court says<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) must continue paying to use the name of the late Zaha Hadid \u2013 an obligation that has cost the practice \u00a321.4 million since her death\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/zaha-hadid-architects-must-keep-paying-to-use-name-high-court-says\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" 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