Student sports club Obelix gets comic hero’s lawyer on its back

Simply using the name and image of your favourite comic character for your student association is not without risks. The Utrecht strength sports association Obelix suddenly had to change its name or risk a hefty fine.

The sports association, founded in 2016, had used the name and image of comic character Obelix for years without any problems – the extremely strong Gaul who fell into a cauldron of magic potion as a child. But at the end of 2024, during the launch of a new website and the use of images of Obelix on Instagram, things went wrong, reports university magazine DUB.

This drew the attention of publisher Les Editions Albert René, which holds the rights to the Asterix & Obelix comic books. They received a letter from a lawyer: they must immediately choose a different name, adjust their website and logo, and remove the social media posts. Otherwise, they would risk a fine of 1,000 euros per violation.

At first, the sports association could not believe it, writes DUB, and sought legal advice. As a non-profit organisation, the association might have been allowed to keep its name, they believed, but the students chose not to pursue a legal battle.

Mammoth with barbell

And so they continued under a new name. The club is now called SKVU Mammoth, with a new logo as well: a mammoth with a barbell.

According to DUB, there are two other student associations that use names from the well-known comic. The study association Asterix for Celtic languages and culture has been doing so for twenty-five years without any problems. The Nijmegen student rugby association Obelix appears to have a licence from the publisher.