Donald Trump is not only a former president of the United States but also a real estate mogul. He owns hotels and golf clubs in countries like England and Ireland. In the European Union, he has registered TRUMP for a wide range of products, including clothing, hotels, and golf clubs. When the TRUMP brand is applied for by someone else for condoms, beer, and sparkling wine, Donald’s organization (DTTM) objects.
The European authorities partially agree. In hotels, guests can not only stay overnight but often also dine. Food and beverages are therefore an integral part of hotel services. For this reason, the application is refused for beer and sparkling wines.
However, this reasoning does not apply to condoms (hotels and condoms are neither similar nor complementary). DTTM then relies on the reputation of the former president, which makes sense because well-known trademarks enjoy broader protection.
However, this argument does not hold. While Donald Trump may be a famous individual, that is different from his trademarks being famous. The TRUMP brand is not recognized as a well-known trademark for hotels and golf clubs. Therefore, the trademark is accepted for condoms. No appeal was filed against this decision.
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