Liverpool's wings clipped in Liver Bird badge row
LIVERPOOL, England (AFP) — Liverpool could face a legal battle with the city's council as a row over the club's famous Liver Bird badge continues to ruffle feathers at Anfield.
The Premier League team's shirt features the mythical Liver Bird on its badge and Liverpool officials have applied to the UK Intellectual Property Office to register the image in an attempt to stop street traders selling counterfeit merchandise bearing the emblem.
But Liverpool City Council said the club had "no right" to claim the bird as its own and deputy council leader Flo Clucas revealed that they are taking legal advice over the application.
"I have some very real concerns over it," she told the BBC. "It belongs to the city and nobody has a right to claim it exclusively as their own.
"They do already have their crest trademarked, but they have no right of ownership to claim the bird, or any version of the bird, as their own.
"Not only does the Liver Bird appear on the Royal Charter for the council, but it is also used by local businesses and schools.
"It belongs to the city and nobody has a right to claim it exclusively as the own. It's a symbol for the city."
Two statues of the birds stand atop one of the city's most famous buildings, the Liver Building, while several local businesses use it as their logo.
Liverpool insist they have no intention of challenging the Liver Bird's use on anything but unofficial merchandise.
"Liverpool Football Club is seeking to trademark only its own specific version of the Liver Bird, to combat its use in counterfeit merchandise," the statement said.
"This does not extend to other versions of the Liver Bird, such as the city council's or those used by other commercial or charity organisations.
"We have absolutely no intention of challenging that usage of the Liver Bird.
"We are simply trying to stop people lifting our rendition of the Liver Bird out of the official club crest and applying it to fake Liverpool FC merchandise."
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The Liver bird 
Liverpool F.C., an association football club located in Liverpool, a British city, has been criticized by the city council for attempting to trademark the Liver Bird, a symbol used to represent the city of Liverpool, and its football club.
The council chamber of Liverpool's town hall 
Flo Clucas, the Deputy leader of Liverpool City Council, expressed her concern over the move. "I have some very real concerns over it," she stated. "They do already have their crest trademarked, but they have no right of ownership to claim the bird, or any version of the bird, as their own."

"...Not only does it appear on the Royal Charter for the council, but it is also used by local businesses and schools," she continued. "It belongs to the city and nobody has a right to claim it exclusively as the own. It's a symbol for the city."

The football club attempted to respond to these concerns by asserting that "Liverpool Football Club is seeking to trademark only its own specific version of the Liver Bird, to combat its use in counterfeit merchandise."

However, Clucas stated that although "the club also says they have no intention of charging organisations that want to use it," there is no guarantee that this will still be the case in the future, so, according to Clucas, residents of the city may have to pay for the use of the bird in the future if the trademark is approved.

The council is seeking legal advice over the application.

Liverpool F.C. formed in 1892, and is currently managed by Rafa Benitez. They have qualified for the Champions League in every one of the last four seasons, and they are currently second place in the English Premier League, and they have won five of their last six matches.

The club's home ground is the Anfield stadium, and the main focus of their crest is the Liver Bird.