Nike's Bid To Trademark 'Footware' Thwarted By EU Court
Nike's Bid To Trademark 'Footware' Thwarted By EU Court
Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) encountered a significant legal hurdle in its ongoing efforts to trademark the term "footware" for tech-related products, following a ruling by the General Court of the European Union.
耐克公司(NYSE:NKE)在其为科技相关产品申请“footware”这一商标的努力中遭遇到了一项重大的法律障碍，欧洲联盟总部法院做出了裁决，驳回了Nike的商标申请，并命令这家美国运动服装巨头承担Puma所产生的诉讼费用。
This decision came after a challenge from German competitor Puma SE (OTC:PMMAF).
在德国竞争对手彪马SE(OTC:PMMAF)的挑战之后，做出了这个决定。
The EU court, the bloc's second-highest judicial authority, not only rejected Nike's trademark application but also mandated that the U.S. sportswear giant cover the legal expenses incurred by Puma.
该法院的判决基于“footware”一词可能被误解为“footwear”，这是一种不能成为商标的通用术语，据《华尔街日报》报道。
The court's judgment is based on concerns that the term "footware" might be confused with "footwear," a generic term that cannot be trademarked, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Nike打算用“footware”商标来结合“foot”与“software”或“hardware”这些概念，以便为一系列集成了技术的产品贴上标签。但是，法院支持Puma的观点，认为消费者很容易将该术语误解为“footwear”，因此将其归类为仅具描述性而非独特性。
Nike's intent with the "footware" trademark was to bridge concepts of "foot" with "software" or "hardware," aiming to label a range of tech-integrated products.
Nike打算用“footware”商标来结合“foot”与“software”或“hardware”这些概念，以便为一系列集成了技术的产品贴上标签。
However, the court sided with Puma's argument that the term could easily be misinterpreted as "footwear" by consumers, thereby categorizing it as merely descriptive rather than distinctive.
但是，法院支持Puma的观点，认为消费者很容易将该术语误解为“footwear”，因此将其归类为仅具描述性而非独特性。
Also Read: Nike's Multiyear Cost-Cutting Strategy Leads To Layoffs In Europe: Report
另请参阅: 耐克的多年削减成本策略导致欧洲裁员: 报告
This ruling follows various legal challenges against Nike's trademark attempts in multiple jurisdictions.
这项裁定是针对耐克在多个司法管辖区的商标尝试所面临的各种法律挑战。
While Nike previously succeeded in securing the trademark in the U.K. following a 2021 ruling, its efforts faced a setback in the U.S. earlier this year when the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board sided with San Antonio Shoemakers, who argued against the trademark on similar grounds.
尽管Nike在2021年取得了在英国的商标，但其在美国的努力今年早些时候面临了挫折，当时商标审判和上诉局支持San Antonio Shoemakers的理由反对商标的使用。
Nike has the option to escalate the case to the European Court of Justice, the EU's highest court, should it choose to continue pursuing the trademark.
如果Nike选择继续追求商标，它可以将此案件升级到欧洲最高法院——欧洲法院。
Nike stock has lost more than 12% in the last 12 months. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF (NYSE:VCR) and Fidelity MSCI Consumer Discretionary Index ETF (NYSE:FDIS).
投资者可以通过周期性消费品ETF-Vanguard(NYSE:VCR)和富达MSCI周期性消费品指数ETF(NYSE:FDIS)获得耐克的股票暴露，Nike的股票在过去12个月中下跌超过12%。
Price Action: NKE shares are trading higher by 0.53% at $94.18 in premarket at last check Thursday.
股价走势: NKE股票周四盘前涨0.53%，报94.18美元。
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免责声明: 此内容部分使用人工智能工具生成，并由Benzinga编辑审查和发布。