Ex Parte Order Targets Three Aviator Studio Entities
The First Hall of the Civil Court of Malta issued a provisional ex parte injunction on 1 September ordering three companies linked to Aviator Studio to stop using trademarks the court found likely to cause confusion with Spribe’s EU-registered Aviator marks.
The order names Aviator Studio Limited, Aviator Studio Holding Limited and Aviator Studio USA Limited. It requires all three to immediately cease using identical or similar signs to Spribe’s EU trademarks in connection with identical or similar products and services, and to stop operating the aviator.studio website or any other site featuring a matching or similar mark in that context.
The injunction covers two EU trademarks owned by Spribe: a figurative mark combining the word “Aviator” with an aircraft image, and a multimedia mark covering elements of the Aviator game’s audiovisual presentation.
Court Points to Market Confusion and Ongoing EU Distribution
In its reasoning, the court noted the identical “Aviator” name, visual similarities between aircraft imagery and the game’s audiovisual sequence, and the fact that both products target the same online gaming audience.
The judge also cited evidence of confusion in the marketplace. The two games appeared side by side when users searched for “Aviator” on Betsson and EuroCasino, and a LuckyStreak listing appeared to attribute Spribe’s game to Aviator Studios, according to the court’s findings.
The Maltese court determined that the alleged infringement was already occurring within the EU, including through EuroCasino in Malta and Betsson in Sweden and Finland. It also noted that Aviator Studio Limited had recently obtained a B2B Critical Supply Licence from the Malta Gaming Authority, which the court said positioned the company to expand distribution of its game across Malta and the wider EU.
Spribe Cites ‘Momentum’ as Legal Battle Continues
Spribe founder David Natroshvili said the company was “grateful” for the decision and called it “further momentum for Spribe after several positive outcomes.” He pointed to a hearing scheduled for October in the UK, where Spribe will argue its application for a multi-territorial preliminary injunction.
In a letter to customers seen by NEXT.io, Spribe stated it developed the original Aviator crash game in 2018 and launched it globally from 2019. The company described Aviator Studio’s product as a “copycat game” released in 2025, seven years after the original, and said it would “continue to take all necessary steps globally” to protect its rights, partners, and players.
The Malta injunction is provisional. The Aviator Studio companies are entitled to seek a review of the order, and Spribe must commence proceedings leading to a decision on the merits within 31 calendar days of the 1 September ruling.
Wider Dispute Spans Multiple Jurisdictions
The Maltese ruling is the latest development in a multi-jurisdictional trademark and copyright dispute. In August 2024, Georgia’s Court of First Instance found that Spribe’s own Georgian trademarks had been registered in bad faith and infringed Aviator LLC’s copyright; Georgia’s Supreme Court upheld that decision in May 2025.
Spribe has had more success in the UK. In July 2025, the High Court granted an interim injunction preventing Aviator LLC from launching a rival crash game in Britain. In May of this year, Deputy Judge Michael Tappin KC ruled that the Georgian court’s findings could not be automatically applied under English law, a procedural win for Spribe.
Separately, the Court of First Instance of Curaçao invalidated two Aviator-branded trademark registrations held by Aviator LLC, according to reports last month.
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