Max Verstappen’s plans to produce clothes under his own brand “Max 1” are under threat – this is being hindered by Nike.
According to the Dutch newspaper De Limburger, the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP), which regulates copyright, thinks that this brand is too reminiscent of the Air Max brand, under which Nike has been producing sports shoes for years.
A BOIP report on the results of the investigation cites several reasons preventing the registration of a trademark designed to be associated with the reigning world champion.
The word “Max”, which appears in both names, and in the case of the Verstappen brand, is the main focus on it, and the fact that the company associated with the racer intends to produce approximately the same products as Nike, also raises questions.
As the BOIP report points out, brand similarity is likely to create confusion “in that the public may believe that products under these brand names are from the same manufacturer or companies that are economically related.”
It is not yet clear whether this is the final decision, or whether Verstappen and his lawyers will have the chance to challenge it.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
