On August 21, 2026, sports brand PUMA successfully challenged the registration for “FEISHOU & FEISHOU (stylized)” trademark. Taiwan’s IP Office (“TIPO”) cancelled the contested trademark after finding a likelihood of confusion with PUMA’s well-known “PUMA” logos (Reg. No. 00143672, 00131605, and 00088124, see below).
TIPO ruled in PUMA’s favor based on Article 30.1.11:
1. Article 30.1.11 of Trademark Act provides that a mark shall not be registered if such a mark is identical or similar to another’s well-known trademark, and hence may cause confusion in the relevant public, or may harm the reputation or dilute the distinctiveness of such well-known mark.
2. TIPO affirmed PUMA’s iconic silhouette logo is well-known in Taiwan for footwear, apparel, and the relevant sports accessories. PUMA’s voluminous supporting records, including worldwide registrations of trademarks dating back to 1958, high-profile celebrity endorsements, and motorsport partnerships with Ferrari F1 (2004), BMW Motorsport(2012), and Porsche Motorsport (2019), alongside campaigns such as Jay Z’s “PUMA Jet”, sufficiently proved its strong brand recognition in Taiwan.
3. On similarity, the contested trademark combines textual element “FEISHOU”, and a stylized graphic arrangement resembling a winged beast. PUMA’s well-known trademark, similarly, features the side silhouette of a leaping puma. TIPO observed that both trademarks feature the side silhouette of a beast leaping toward the left, positioned above textual elements. Therefore, the two trademarks share substantial visual and conceptual similarity.
4. On the strength of the trademark, TIPO found that PUMA’s decades of extensive and diversified commercial use granted its mark a high degree of distinctiveness and broader exclusivity. In contrast, there was no evidence supporting the commercial use of the contested trademark.
5. Although the contested trademark covered aerial vehicles in Class 12, TIPO considered that PUMA’s long-standing promotional presence in motorsports, private aviation, and luxury performance vehicles, make it likely that relevant consumers would associate specialized mobility products with PUMA’s strong and diversified brand universe.
Given the well-known status of the PUMA logos, the similarity between the two trademarks, the relatedness established through PUMA’s mobility partnerships, and consumers’ strong brand recognition, TIPO concluded that registration of the contested trademark may cause confusion with PUMA’s well-known icon. The contested trademark was cancelled accordingly.
沒有留言:
張貼留言
注意：只有此網誌的成員可以留言。