This has been discussed elsewhere on the forum before, but as far as Mattel is concerned, they own all the rights to the use of the Dinky name on model toys, including 'Dinky Toys'. As well as licensing the Atlas re-issues, they periodically use the name on Matchbox releases as part of the process of maintaining their ownership of the brand.
Trademark registration is a very involved legal subject, but in essence a key element of ownership is continued use. The Dinky name in all its forms passed to the US company General Mills when they acquired the assets of Airfix in 1981, having previously acquired Miro-Meccano, the french arm of the company. Unfortunately, they did not make use of the name and Universal Toys (Matchbox) obtained it in a cut price deal in 1986, having already laid claim to it by using it on a sample range of toys on the basis that General Mills has let their rights to it lapse. Crucially, the sample range used the full 'Dinky Toys' name.
Universal were acquired by Tyco in 1992, who were then acquired by Mattel in 1997. Although Mattel have never made any mainstream use of the Dinky Toys trademark, they have been very careful to periodically use it to ensure that they can maintain legal title to it. The current Atlas license very clearly shows their registered ownership of the brand. Anyone else who claimed to have the rights to the name in any form would no doubt end up opposite Mattel in court, and quite frankly, I wouldn't fancy their chances!
