Three years after the legendary Diego Maradona’s passing, a big authorized tussle has unfolded, culminating in a victorious consequence for his heirs.
In a ruling that resonates with the fervour of a football-loving nation, the European Union’s highest courtroom has declared that the Argentine soccer genius’s identify stays the unique area of his household, invalidating a declare by the Argentine firm Sattvica, which belonged to Maradona’s former lawyer.
Back in 2008, Maradona, in a strategic transfer, secured an EU trademark for his identify, extending it to embody clothes, footwear, hospitality and IT providers.
This trademark turned a valuable asset for the soccer icon throughout his lifetime.
However, following Maradona’s premature demise in 2020, Sattvica made an audacious transfer, knocking on the doorways of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).
They sought to switch the coveted trademark to their very own possession, citing a 2015 doc wherein Maradona had purportedly licensed Sattvica’s industrial use of his identify.
To add to the intrigue, they offered an undated settlement as additional proof of their declare.
Maradona’s heirs, not keen to let the legacy of their beloved icon be manipulated, countered Sattvica’s daring maneuver.
They approached EUIPO, urging them to strike out the switch recorded within the workplace’s official paperwork.
EUIPO, in a choice final yr, examined the paperwork offered by Sattvica, solely to search out obtrusive gaps of their declare.
The paperwork didn’t convincingly set up a proper task of the trademark from Maradona to the corporate primarily based on a contractual settlement.
Moreover, with Maradona not among the many residing, Sattvica had no means to rectify these irregularities or furnish different documentation.
In a decisive ruling that reverberated by the authorized corridors of the EU, judges on the Luxembourg-based General Court, Europe’s second-highest judicial authority, pronounced their verdict.
They emphatically declared that “the documents produced by that company do not formally justify an assignment of the trademark in its favor under a contract signed between the two parties (Sattvica and Maradona).”
The judges underscored the lack of Sattvica to deal with the deficiencies of their case, given Maradona’s unlucky passing.
As the mud settles on this authorized battle, Sattvica retains the precise to attraction the decision to the EU Court of Justice, Europe’s highest authorized authority.
The stakes are excessive, and Maradona’s legacy continues to be fiercely protected.
Diego Maradona’s ascent from a humble Buenos Aires slum to main Argentina to World Cup glory has etched his identify within the annals of sporting historical past.
In the hearts of his fellow Argentines, he occupies an iconic standing akin to the likes of Che Guevara and Eva Peron.
The authorized saga, recognized as T-299/22 | Sattvica v EUIPO – Maradona and Others (DIEGO MARADONA), captures the enduring legacy and fervor surrounding one of many biggest footballers to have graced the pitch.
Source: www.dailysabah.com