From Messi to Banksy
Registering a trademark is often the first step when entering the market, undertaken by small and big enterprises, as well as “average joes” and superstars. Whether the trademark registration will succeed, however, is not dependent only on the characteristics of the sign or a word to be registered, but sometimes also on the applicant’s special characteristics, such as e.g. extreme fame or their anonymity.
The question of how the applicant’s fame and anonymity can affect trademark protection was discussed by Timotej Kotnik Jesih through the analysis of recent cases involving the footballer Lionel Messi and Banksy, the street artist. His article “From Messi to Banksy: how fame and anonymity of trademark applicants affect trademark protection” was published in Pravna praksa (pp. 14-15) on 15 October 2020.
The article in its entirety (in Slovene) is accessible here.
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