Transfer
In July 2001, Diego Maradona filed his name as a trademark in the European trademark register. In 2021, a few months after Diego’s death, lawyer Matias Morla had this trademark registration transferred into the name of his company Sattvica. To justify this transfer, Morla submitted two documents, one from 2015 and one undated, in which Maradona states that Sattvica may use the Maradona trademark.
The heirs
But of course the five children of the late star soccer player didn’t take that. In 2022, they succeeded in reversing the transfer of the trademark. The Board of Appeal of the European trademark office found that the documents submitted by Morla were insufficient for a transfer of the trademark. The documents nowhere mentioned that it was intended that this European trademark should also be transferred to Sattvica.
Morla and his company appealed to the European General Court, but recently got the lid on the nose there as well. The European General Court concurred with the Board of Appeal’s earlier ruling: that trademark remains with Diego Maradona and his heirs.
Feels good
Although I do not know all details of the deals Maradona struck with his lawyer, it still feels good that it is not the undoubtedly shrewd lawyer who is now getting away with this valuable registration, but that the footballer’s children can now milk the trademark rights further. I’m sure Dinorah Giannina, Diego Fernando, Dalma Nerea, Jana and Diego Arego will be very happy about that.
Bas Kist
