David Beckham has denied claims from campaigners that he is ‘choosing profit over principles’ after registering his name as a trademark in Russia.
Earlier this month an application, filed last summer on behalf of the former England skipper by DB Ventures, was reportedly approved.
It grants ‘Golden Balls’ trademark rights for his name to be used to sell dozens of products in the country under the Beckham brand – from curtains, yoga mats, pet blankets, bed linen to sleeping bags.
Campaigners from the group Women Fight for Ukraine lashed out at the father-of-four, who previously ‘handed over his Instagram to a Ukrainian doctor and donated to help Ukrainian children’, for the alleged move.
In a blistering Instagram post, they said the former footballer deserved a ‘red card’ whilst accusing Beckham of expanding his business to Russia and ‘choosing profit over principles’.
Beckham’s representatives have since vehemently denied claims he has any ‘proactive’ plans to grow his brand into the Eurasian state branding them ‘completely untrue’, adding they had ‘no basis at all in fact’.
They added that filings were ‘a routine’ and ‘standard’ business practice and act as a ‘protective measure’ to stop others from attempting to profit from the Beckham brand or name globally.
A representative told MailOnline: ‘Trademark filings are a routine process to protect brands and intellectual property all over the world.
‘In this case, Authentic Brands/DB Ventures filed in Russia as a protective measure to ensure that other operators cannot use the brand or profit from the Beckham brand and name.
‘This is entirely standard practice and is done by brands and businesses routinely.
‘The filing caused inaccurate reporting that suggested that we have proactive plans to expand the brand into Russia – this is completely untrue and has no basis at all in fact.
‘The Ukranian group in question has responded to that inaccurate reporting – we have contacted them today to reassure them that we have no such plans.’
The company that owns DB Ventures also previously said the move to secure a trademark was a ‘routine’ part of protecting the Beckham brand overseas.
Beckham and his wife Victoria have been long-standing supporters of Ukraine after it was invaded by Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin’s force almost three years ago.
