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ARTICLE · 06 OCTOBER 2023

EUIPO Refuses Registration Of 'Acceleration' Sound Mark

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An application by Porsche to register a sound trade mark has been refused, the EUIPO finding it non-distinctive and unable to identify trade origin

United KingdomIntellectual Property
Jeremy Dickerson
Jeremy Dickerson

An application by Porsche to register a sound trade mark has been refused, the EUIPO finding it non-distinctive and unable to identify trade origin

The EU Intellectual Property Office has refused an application by Porsche to register a sound trade mark (listen here: EUTM Application No. 18795489) on the basis that consumers would simply view it as the sound of a car accelerating and not an indication of trade origin.

Application and Examination

Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft ('Porsche') applied to register a 16 second sound trade mark for various goods and services in Classes 9, 12, 28 and 41 (including vehicles, model vehicles, toy cars, and digital goods and services related to vehicles) on 18 November 2022.

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