The proposed Super League loses a trademark fight to Denmark's top competition
A breakaway competition of Euro‐ pean soccer clubs cannot be regis‐ tered under the Super League trademark, a European Union of‐ fice has ruled in a victory for Den‐ mark's top‐flight competition.
The EU's Intellectual Property Office based in Alicante, Spain re‐ jected an attempt by the European Super League Company to register the trademark because it is "con‐ ceptually identical" to the Super Liga in Denmark.
"The Opposition Division con‐ cludes that it is clear from the ev‐ idence submitted that the earlier trade mark (Super Liga) has been subject to long‐standing and in‐ tensive use and is generally known and has acquired a signifi‐ cant reputation in the relevant market in relation to the organi‐ zation of sports activities, includ‐ ing sporting events, all in relation to football, where it enjoys a con‐ solidated position," the ruling said.
The opposition division handles challenges to trademark applica‐ tions.
"(It) considers that a significant part of the public in the relevant territory has sufficient English‐ knowledge to perceive 'The Super League' as the English translation of the Danish word 'Super Liga' and therefore as conceptually identical," the ruling stated.
The ruling can be appealed.
"We are very happy that the EU's trademark authority has agreed that the trademark ' The Super League' in the EU will violate the value that the Danish clubs have invested in 3F Superliga," the Dan‐ ish league said in a statement on Wednesday.
In 2021, a group 12 of Europe's most storied clubs announced plans to create a new Super League. Proposals for the 20‐team elite tournament would have seen 15 top clubs protected from rele‐ gation.
It would have effectively re‐ placed the Champions League — Europe's elite club tournament — and had the potential to impact domestic leagues given the guar‐ anteed entry of teams regardless of their success in national com‐ petitions.
A22 Sports Management, a Madrid‐based company that is promoting the Super League, had no immediate comment.
Super League backers won a major legal victory in December when the EU's Court of Justice ruled that soccer's governing bod‐ ies UEFA and FIFA acted contrary to EU competition law by blocking plans for a breakaway Super League.