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Aston Martin’s creditors are threatening legal action against the troubled carmaker after it shifted valuable naming and branding rights from the UK to the Cayman Islands as part of a financing deal to relieve its debt load. According to analysis of filings on the UK’s Intellectual Property Office website, 195 trademarks belonging to Aston Martin – including the winged logo and the trademark for the shape and design of the DB5, the model James Bond drives in 1964 film Goldfinger – were transferred to an offshore subsidiary on 30 July. Last month Aston Martin announced it had struck a financing deal with HPS, a private credit firm owned by BlackRock, which includes a £450m loan. Under the terms, the carmaker, part-owned by Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll, may also draw on another £100m if it hands over a 50.1% stake in the intellectual property to co-investor Authentic Brands, which owns Reebok and Ted Baker and holds rights tied to Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe. Last Sunday a group of creditors owed £1.3bn sent a “letter before action” to Aston Martin’s board of directors warning they may file proceedings seeking to unwind the deal over concerns it puts their collateral at risk. The group is understood to have engaged multiple legal firms and to have set a deadline to negotiate on 14 August. A source close to the group said there had been “almost nothing” from Aston Martin in terms of engagement or entertaining of a counter offer. In February the carmaker sold its Formula One naming rights for £50m, and Stroll, who owns a third of the company, was forced to deny he was seeking an exit. Aston Martin’s stock is down more than 40% this year, the carmaker having been plagued by delays, quality issues, weak demand in China and US tariffs. Creditors have raised governance concerns about the links between Aston Martin and HPS. The private credit firm has also invested in the Formula One team and counts Stroll as a large investor. Scot French, an HPS co-founder, sits on the boards of Aston Martin and Authentic Brands. Intellectual property often features in credit battles because they it can be among a company’s most valuable assets. Aston Martin’s branding can be found on high-end baby strollers, rare whiskies and even a luxury apartment complex in Miami. While there is no suggestion that the carmaker is seeking to immediately sell the rights, fears persist that the company could end up as a manufacturer that must rent the right to use its own name. Aston Martin did not respond to requests for comment. What are your thoughts on this? Email us at letters@observer.co.uk Newsletters Choose the newsletters you want to receive View more For information about how The Observer protects your data, read our Privacy Policy Phorograph by Bettman Archive