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The European Union Court of Justice ruled that world soccer star Lionel Messi has the right to trademark his name after a legal fight that lasted almost nine years.
The court rejected an appeal from a Spanish bicycle company called Massey and the European Union Intellectual Property Office.
And in 2011, the Barcelona star applied for a sportswear brand to apply his name. But the Massey bike company said the similarity between the two names would create confusion.
The Court of Justice of the European Union has said that Messi’s fame deserves to be taken into account when considering whether the public can distinguish between the two brands.
Thus, the court confirmed a ruling of the General Court of the European Union in 2018 that says that the fame of the Argentine player is not confused.
Messi becomes a “brand” by European jurisdiction
The Masi company, which sells clothing and material for bicycles, had managed to obtain a ruling against Messi’s request to convert his name into a brand, but the Barça star appealed the sentence in the General Court, which ruled in his favor.
Messi, 33, was crowned the best soccer player in the world six times in a record. The owner of the number 10 jersey is the world’s most expensive soccer player, according to Forbes magazine, which says Messi’s total revenue for 2020 was $ 126 million.
Messi caused a stir in August with a letter he sent to Barcelona announcing his desire to leave the Spanish club.
When Barcelona responded by insisting that any club seeking to sign Messi must comply with the € 700 million penalty clause, the player reversed his desire to leave, saying he did not want to sue the club he loves.
