A Costa Rican supermarket, "Súper Mario," has won a surprising legal battle against Nintendo over trademark rights to the name. The supermarket successfully defended its use of the name, arguing it was a legitimate combination of its business type and the manager's first name, Mario. The dispute began in 2024 when Nintendo challenged the supermarket's trademark renewal, claiming infringement on their globally recognized Super Mario brand.
The supermarket's legal team, led by advisor Jose Edgardo Jimenez Blanco, countered that the name wasn't an attempt to capitalize on Nintendo's intellectual property. They successfully proved the name's straightforward connection to the supermarket's nature and the manager's name.
Image: x.com
Charito, the son of the supermarket's owner and the one who registered the trademark in 2013, expressed relief and gratitude to his legal team. He stated, "I am really grateful to my accountant and legal advisor, Jose Edgardo Jimenez Blanco, who managed the registration and following trademark battle. We were considering giving up. How could we ever take on such a massive business entity? But Edgardo and I weren't going to back down, and we got some positive news a few days ago. 'Súper Mario' will never go away."
While Nintendo holds exclusive rights to the Super Mario trademark in many countries across various product categories, this case underscores the complexities of trademark disputes, particularly when large corporations face smaller businesses with justifiable claims to a similar name. The outcome serves as a reminder that even major brands can face legal challenges in protecting their intellectual property.
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