Overview

• Diego Maradona, late soccer star, had registered his name as a trademark with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in 2008 for a variety of products including clothing, footwear, and headgear.
• After Maradona's death in November 2020, Sattvica, an Argentine company owned by his former lawyer, requested the EUIPO to register a transfer of the trademark based on two documents allegedly issued by Maradona.
• Maradona's heirs successfully petitioned to have the registered transfer canceled; in response, Sattvica appealed to the European Union's General Court to have the decision annulled.
• The General Court declined Sattvica's plea, justified by the inadequacy of the documents presented by the company as supporting evidence for the trademark's transfer.
• Despite the ruling, Sattvica retains the right to further appeal the decision to the Europe's highest court, the EU Court of Justice.