Healthy animals
This Belgian organization supports and trains local African farmers to keep their animals healthy and build a better future. And what name fits better for this cross-border veterinary aid than Vets Without Borders? Seems logical, right?
Objection
But Doctors Without Borders (Artsen Zonder Grenzen) didn’t see it that way. When the Belgians applied to register the name Vets Without Borders in the Benelux, the Swiss parent organization, Médecins Sans Frontières International, objected. “To avoid any misunderstanding: we’re not against the charitable mission of the Belgians,” said the Swiss, “but we don’t want them piggybacking on the fame and reputation of the Doctors Without Borders brand.”
Confusing and piggybacking
And Doctors Without Borders won. According to the Benelux Intellectual Property Office, the Belgians did indeed cross a line. First, the public is likely to confuse the name Vets Without Borders with Doctors Without Borders, said the trademark office. And second, the Belgians are essentially trying to ride on the coattails of the established fame and reputation of the Doctors Without Borders brand, and benefit from the investments made to build that reputation. And that’s not allowed.
Registration prohibited. But what about use?
What happens next is quite interesting. It’s important to note that this case at the Benelux trademark office only concerned the registration of the wordmark Vets Without Borders (Dierenartsen zonder Grenzen). The Benelux office cannot and will not rule on the use of the name. If Doctors Without Borders also wants to prohibit use of the name, they’ll need to go to court.
During the trademark office proceedings, the Belgians stated they have been operating under the name Vets Without Borders for 40 years. They even hold two image-based trademarks (from 2017 and 2021) that include the words Vets Without Borders. Apparently, Doctors Without Borders never objected to those uses or registrations.
Now that the wordmark registration has been blocked, will the doctors push further and take the matter to court to stop use of the name as well? We’ll have to wait and see.
Bas Kist
Banner image by: nesimo, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
