Reference News Network, November 19 report. According to Deutsche Welle, on November 18, the German far-right party AfD lost a European Union trademark dispute over its logo.
The report said that on the 18th, the European Union Intellectual Property Office ruled that the AfD should lose its rights to the party's logo and abbreviation of its name.
The report stated that the AfD will appeal the ruling. The party's federal office responded to a question from Deutsche Welle journalists: "The AfD will appeal the decision of the European Union Intellectual Property Office, and we believe these decisions will be overturned."
The loss of trademark rights makes it more difficult for the AfD to prevent others from using the party's logo or abbreviation for commercial purposes, such as on T-shirts or merchandise with political messages.
In September 2023, a law firm based in Berlin submitted an application to the European Union Intellectual Property Office, headquartered in Alicante, Spain, to revoke the trademark, thus initiating the so-called cancellation procedure.
The law firm's reason was that the trademark had not been genuinely used for five consecutive years. The European Union Intellectual Property Office explained in its ruling that the documents submitted by the AfD only proved the use of the trademark within the party, not in commercial activities.
The AfD also confirmed that cancellation procedures are underway at the German Patent and Trademark Office in Munich regarding its seven trademarks, and the decisions are expected to be made next year.
The party's statement said: "Regardless of the outcome of these procedures, the name, abbreviation 'AfD', and the logo of the AfD are fully protected by numerous other trademarks and usage rights." (Translated by Feng Xue)
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7574335642029621798/
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