Overview
- The EU General Court in Luxembourg is examining the publisher’s appeal against an EUIPO decision that allowed a 2022 ‘Obelix’ registration for weapons and ammunition to remain.
- The French rights holder has owned an ‘Obelix’ trademark since 1998 covering books, clothing and games linked to the Asterix franchise.
- The publisher argues the arms company chose the name to evoke invincibility and could exploit the older mark’s fame, risking damage to its reputation.
- EUIPO reasoned that the goods and consumers are dissimilar and that arms buyers form a specialized audience, making confusion with the comic character unlikely.
- A ruling is expected in several weeks, a decision that could influence protection for well-known marks used in unrelated and sensitive industries.