{"id":5116,"date":"2022-01-12T19:52:35","date_gmt":"2022-01-12T18:52:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.augelegalfiscal.com\/the-cancellation-of-an-andorran-trademark-due-to-the-existence-of-a-prior-right\/"},"modified":"2022-01-12T19:57:49","modified_gmt":"2022-01-12T18:57:49","slug":"the-cancellation-of-an-andorran-trademark-due-to-the-existence-of-a-prior-right","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.augelegalfiscal.com\/en\/the-cancellation-of-an-andorran-trademark-due-to-the-existence-of-a-prior-right\/","title":{"rendered":"The cancellation of an Andorran trademark due to the existence of a prior right"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"5116\" class=\"elementor elementor-5116 elementor-5102\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-26d39aab elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"26d39aab\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-299bb842\" data-id=\"299bb842\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5eab5d55 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"5eab5d55\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_79_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #8f2b2f;color:#8f2b2f\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #8f2b2f;color:#8f2b2f\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.augelegalfiscal.com\/en\/the-cancellation-of-an-andorran-trademark-due-to-the-existence-of-a-prior-right\/#The_cancellation_of_an_Andorran_trademark_due_to_the_existence_of_a_prior_right\" >The cancellation of an Andorran trademark due to the existence of a prior right<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_cancellation_of_an_Andorran_trademark_due_to_the_existence_of_a_prior_right\"><\/span>The cancellation of an Andorran trademark due to the existence of a prior right<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3b0e7f18 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3b0e7f18\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Pursuant to a decision handed down on 28 July 2021, the Andorran Court (\u00ab Batllia \u00bb) cancelled the Andorran trademark Fidelity Investments due to the existence of a prior trademark FIDELTY INVESTMENTS, which constitutes a prior right within the meaning of Andorran trademark law.<\/p>\n<p>The facts are clearly explained in the decision: the company FIL LIMITED is the owner of numerous trademarks around the world on the sign FIDELITY INVESTMENTS and it notably filed the verbal trademark application FIDELITY INVESTMENTS with the Andorran trademark office on 14 July 1998 to designate various financial services in class 36 (of the Nice classification). Said Andorran trademark has been registered under No. 11089 and is in force.<\/p>\n<p>The company LINCOLN CAPITAL, LTD filed the trademark application Fidelity Investments on 9 January 2020 to also designate financial services in class 36. This Andorran trademark has been registered under No. 40950.<\/p>\n<p>It is in this context that FIL LIMITED launched a lawsuit at the Andorran Court in order to obtain the cancellation of the trademark Fidelity Investments owned by LINCOLN CAPITAL, LTD.<\/p>\n<p>The defendant decided to not be represented during the proceedings and was declared in <em>\u00ab procedural rebellion \u00bb<\/em> by order of 18 March 2021.<\/p>\n<p>On the merits of the case, the Judge stated the legal provisions applicable when it comes to prior rights as set-out by article 3 of Andorran trademark law:<\/p>\n<p><em>\u00ab 1) Cannot be adopted as a trademark or an element of a trademark any sign that violates a prior right.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>2) Is considered as constituting a prior right:<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>a) an identical or similar trademark registered for goods and\/or services that are identical or similar if the registration date of said trademark (\u2026) is prior;<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>(\u2026) \u00bb<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The decision, firstly, states that both signs in presence are identical, <em>\u00ab which only diverge by the used typography, the first mark is in capital letters whereas the second mark is in minuscule, but both marks refer to the same terms \u00bb.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Secondly, the comparison of the goods and services designated by the trademarks in conflict reveals that a vast majority of the designated services are identical and that other services are similar, <em>\u00ab generating an obvious risk of confusion in the mind of the public \u00bb.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The Judge rightly concludes that the posterior trademark violates the Plaintiff\u2019s rights held on its prior trademark FIDELITY INVESTMENTS No. 11089, thus declaring <em>\u00ab the nullity of trademark No. 40950 of LINCOLN CAPITAL LTD, in application of article 26.2 of Andorran trademark law \u00bb.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The commented decision correctly applies the rules that govern this subject-matter and orders the recordal of the decision at the Andorran trademark Registry, forbids the defendant to use the sign FIDELITY INVESTMENT to designate financial products within the territory of the Principality of Andorra, and sentences the defendant to pay the legal costs.<\/p>\n<p>In the absence of an appeal, this decision has become final.<\/p>\n<p>There are two practical aspects that can be put forth regarding this decision:<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7ef8f17d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7ef8f17d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul>\n<li>The swiftness of the procedure leading to a Court decision of first instance<\/li>\n<li>The importance of filing an Andorran trademark in order to cover the Andorran territory, which in particular, provides a legal basis for the right holder to cancel posterior \u201cpirate\u201d trademarks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4e352afe elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4e352afe\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>Jonathan Hinkson<\/b><\/p>\n<p>IP Department<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #a22d58;\">Aug\u00e9 Legal &amp; Fiscal<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3b7fd5bc elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"3b7fd5bc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pursuant to a decision handed down on 28 July 2021, the Andorran Court (\u00ab Batllia \u00bb) cancelled the Andorran trademark Fidelity Investments due to the existence of a prior trademark FIDELTY INVESTMENTS, which constitutes a prior right within the meaning of Andorran trademark law. The facts are clearly explained in the decision: the company FIL [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5108,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5116","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-auge"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augelegalfiscal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5116","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augelegalfiscal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augelegalfiscal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augelegalfiscal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augelegalfiscal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5116"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.augelegalfiscal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5116\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5122,"href":"https:\/\/www.augelegalfiscal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5116\/revisions\/5122"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augelegalfiscal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5108"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augelegalfiscal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5116"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augelegalfiscal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5116"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augelegalfiscal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5116"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}