Nike Block MAX 1 For Verstappen

Max Verstappen's plans to launch a MAX 1 clothing range have run into a roadblock, as Nike successfully oppose his Benelux trade mark application on the basis of their rights in AIR MAX.

Nike have been producing trainers under their AIR MAX mark since 1987. The shoes, which are so popular that they have their own Wikipedia page, are easily recognisable thanks to the flexible plastic 'bubbles' in their mid-soles, which are filled with a pressurized gas to provide soft cushioning for the wearer.

Back in December 2021, Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen filed a trade mark application for the mark MAX 1 at The Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP, which is the registration office for trademarks in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg). The application covered a variety of clothing goods, and retail and entertainment services.