Liverpool FC has submitted an application to the Intellectual Property Office to trademark the name of the city in a move it's hoped will protect the club and supporters from "inauthentic products".
LFC has stressed to BusinessLive it's "only in the context of football products and services", and will ensure revenue from goods using the word in relation to the Anfield club is channelled back to it.
The money will then be reinvested back into the team and supporting infrastructure, the club said.
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The move is not unprecedented, and other Premier League clubs such as Chelsea and Southampton have also trademarked place names in relation to their commercial businesses.
An LFC spokeswoman said on Thursday: “We are applying to register ‘Liverpool’ as a trademark but only in the context of football products and services.
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“We are not and wouldn’t ever, seek to register ‘Liverpool’ across the board.
“This application is strictly to protect the club and supporters from those benefiting from inauthentic products.”
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It means the club would be able to take legal action against organisations selling products or services suggesting they are official LFC products because they feature the word “Liverpool”.
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Firms using the word “Liverpool” in relation to the city in a genuine way will remain unaffected, it’s understood.
The spokeswoman added: “The benefits to the club to have this protection in place are to ensure all revenues from official products and services are channelled back into the club and this is reinvested into the team and supporting infrastructure.”