Our news on intellectual property

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has recently had its trademark rights in the signs QATAR 2022 & logo and WORLD CUP 2022 & logo cancelled in Switzerland. In a decision dated 6 April 2022, the Swiss Federal Court ruled that these signs lack intrinsic distinctiveness. According to the court, they refer to the World Cup to be held in Qatar this year, and not to the organizer of the World Cup or to the products and services offered under this name. This ruling calls into question the Institute’s current practice of allowing the registration of signs combining “city/country name + year” for most goods, as well as for services related to this event when the mark contains a figurative element, even illustrative of the event. The ball is now in the court of the sports organizations who will have to adapt their tactics to keep their title alive and protect their rights.