Ferrari has started a legal battle between an independent sports charity. The dispute is over the Italian word for thoroughbred.
Trade marks need to be used a significant amount of times to prevent it from becoming revoked. Ferrari has claimed that the charity has not used the trade mark enough times to be granted rights over the word.
The term argued over is ‘Purosangue’. Ferrari uses this on one of their SUV models whereas the charity is named Purosangue, due to the translation meaning ‘pure blood’. This is because the charity is set up to raise awareness and prevent the use of doping in sports.
Lawyers representing the charity have highlighted the use of the trade mark by nothing the numerous partnerships with reputable brands such as Adidas.
Both trade marks run under different classes therefore the risk of confusion between the brands is lower. The likeliness of confusing an SUV with an anti doping charity is highly unlikely to cause confusion for customers. However, the problem the charity face with Ferrari is the reputation it has and the power they have when coming up against them in court.
The court hearing for Ferrari and the charity commences on March 5th, in Bologna.
If you have recently discovereed a mark that is likely to cause confusion for your brand and are unsure on how to proceed, please contact us at the Trademarkroom today.
Anna Orchard
