September 2017. The Cancellation division of the European Union Intellectual Property Office has cancelled the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) European registration of the wordmark Pierre de Coubertin. The decision was announced in July following an opposition filed by the Dutch company Tempted Brands.

Use

Pierre de Coubertin, the name of the man who founded the Olympic movement, was registered as a European word mark by the IOC in 2007 for a broad range of goods and services. However, in order to remain valid under trademark law, a registered trademark has to be used. If you don’t use your trademark within five years you can lose it.

Attacker attacked

Tempted Brands, also owner of the trademark Route 66, now has its eye on Pierre de Coubertin. When it discovered the IOC hadn’t used the trademark, it got the registration overturned. But the battle isn’t over. Tempted Brands’ own European application to register Pierre de Coubertin is being opposed in turn by the Fondation de Coubertin.