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Messi wins court dispute to trademark his logo

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The Barcelona star Lionel Messi won a legal battle to trademark his logo against a Spanish cycling company called Massi.

The European Court of Justice rejected an appeal lodged by the EU Intellectual Property Office, EUIPO, for the Spanish cycling clothing company Massi on Thursday.

Conflicts arose as the cycling company speculated that resemblance may well create confusion for their customers.

The Argentine initially requested in 2011 as a sportswear, clothing, and equipment brand to patent his surname.

Massi’s owners denied this, claiming that the brand of the footballer would contribute to consumer misinterpretation.

Moreover, the EU high court has said the credibility of Lionel Messi is an important aspect of identifying the difference between the footballer’s brand and the cycling business.

The court accepted a lawsuit in 2013, and the cycling company successfully managed to oppose the claim. However, prevailed in a decision at the General Court of the EU in 2018.

“Mr. Messi is, in reality, a well-known public figure who can be seen on television and who is frequently discussed on television or radio,” the court spoke at the time, implying that there was unlikely to be a misunderstanding between the two brands.

The 33-year-old won the Ballon d’Or a staggering six times. And is an all-time top goalscorer for FC Barcelona, Argentina, and the Spanish football industry.

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Consequently, he is now the world’s highest-paid football player as per Forbes.

Leo earned $92 million for salary and received $34 million from endorsements. As a result, his total earnings amount to $126 million.

Messi recently decided to stay with the Catalan club to steer clear of any legal matter.

The Barca legend has played with the club for an impressive 16 years. And has managed to achieve glory at every level.

In conclusion, it will be interesting to see how his brand will perform after this court dispute.

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