Sir, - The excellent article on Aspirin, written by Brian Boyd The Irish Times, May 31st), mentions Bayer AG's loss of that trademark as a result of the Versailles treaty at the end of the first World War. This is not strictly correct, but it gives rise to the interesting facts of the matter which your readers will find informative.
Aspirin evolves from its full German title Acetylirte Spirsaure (acetylated spiraeic acid) to produce Aspir with in added for good measure. Bayer manufactured the product but lost exclusive rights to the name in some countries when the patent ran out and the courts ruled that, as it had no other name, it was in fact generic. Other firms were then free to manufacture the product and market it under that name. An Australian chemist, George Nicholas, succeeded in making his own version which was first marketed under the Aspirin trade mark but then change to Aspro. In 1927 the Aspro Company was formed and by 1956 became Aspro-Nicholas.
It is also worth noting that in Ireland The Stirling Winthrop Group Ltd v. Farbenfabriken Bayer AG case (Reports of Patent & Trade Marke Cases 1976, page 469), details a long saga of the tussle for the Bayer name, Cross symbolism and Aspirin's involvement. The case ran from June 27th, 1967, to July 28th, 1968, making it one of enormous cost. -Yours, etc., Shane Smyth, Community TradeMark Attorney, F. R. Kelly & Co.,
Clyde Road,
Dublin 4.