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Rumag and the gray space – copyright infringement?

Rumag and the gray space - copyright infringement

Dutch TV host Arjan Lubach mercilessly exposed the practices of RUMAG last season. Rumag markets T-shirts with famous quotes translated literally, in ALLCAPS separated by dots instead of spaces. This firm’s owner is quoted claiming that there can be no copyright infringement when translating quotes from others, as this would be gray space. Is this correct or is this really a bullshit story?

The EU Court has ruled years ago that headlines consisting of eleven words can be considered as copyrighted. The criterion is that it must be a creation of the mind (in short, that creative choices have been made and that it is not just a banal sentence).

The fact that it is translated from English to Dutch makes no difference, neither do the dots between the words. So there is nothing gray about this. Source image: Bron beeld: www.thebestsocial.media-nl

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Abcor specializes in applying for trademark and design rights. We do this worldwide for both SMEs and international companies, but often everything starts with an initial Benelux application. Our aim is to relieve the client of all the worries, which is why we take care of all the steps, from initial advice on what to apply for and how, right through to registration.

In addition to applying for trademarks, we also manage portfolios for our clients. We ensure that trademarks are renewed on time, that the right organizations are paid (given the many fraudulent companies), and we support our clients on issues.

In addition, we are sparring partners for our customers on new products and how to shape and claim new ideas.

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Newsletter: Abcor ABC Magazine

Een korte introductie tekst over de nieuwsbrief waarin je uitlegt wat het is. Hoe je direct de nieuwste editie kunt lezen en hoe je je kunt abonneren. And click here for all the numbers.

Among others in this issue:
• EUIPO vs Mora TV: weigering geluidsmerk
• Jägermeister vs Alte Heiler: stop Russische copycat
• Stichting Nederlandse Top 40: gericht op Benelux?
• Tijdschrift HART vs Hermitage: soortgelijkheid
• Monique Granneman: nieuwe partner Abcor

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