April 27 – In an important case that could potentially have implications for player image rights, a European court has ruled that Argentina and Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi, can trademark his own name for use on sports and clothing equipment.
Messi had previously been prevented from branding his name on to sports goods by Spanish cycling brand, Massi, which argued that the names were too similar and would cause confusion. Massi had opposed Messi’s attempt to file his name as an EU trademark.
The General Court of the EU said that Messi could use his name because his fame would mean that it was unlikely people would confuse the two brands. The court said that an earlier ruling by the European Union Office for Intellectual Property (EUIPO) was incorrect.
“The football player’s fame counteracts the visual and phonetic similarities between his trade mark and the trade mark ‘MASSI’ belonging to a Spanish company,” said the new ruling.
“The court finds that it is wrong to consider that the reputation enjoyed by Mr Messi concerns only the part of the public which is interested in football and sport in general. Mr Messi is, in fact, a well-known public figure who can be seen on television and who is regularly discussed on television or on the radio.”
Messi is the world’s highest earning footballer with income estimated at €126 million by France Football.
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