The lawsuit was filed in 2017 by Munich parent Berneda SA (of Capelladaes, Barcelona province) against Nox parent JJ Ballvé Sports (of Barcelona).
The padel brand Nox has prevailed over the shoe brand Munich in a Spanish court in a dispute over the use of the letter “X” as a brand symbol, as Padel Magazine and others report.
The lawsuit was filed in 2017 by Munich parent Berneda SA (of Capelladaes, Barcelona province) against Nox parent JJ Ballvé Sports (of Barcelona).
Founded in 1939, under the name Berneda, Munich has been using the “X” symbol since 1964, when it changed its name. According to the blog Homage to BCN, the X was originally a structural element in the brand’s shoes – a way to conceal a seam. Nox was founded in 2009 and has been using “X” to symbolize its brand from start.
The initial ruling, from Barcelona’s Commercial Court No. 2, ruled that there was partial infringement, but Barcelona’s Provincial Court overturned the ruling. This latest decision, on May 28, comes from the Supreme Court and is final. Munich may not claim exclusive rights to the symbol “X” in sectors external to footwear, such as padel. The court has found that the public makes no natural association between the two brands.
According to Nox’s statement on the ruling, Munich will be paying court costs.
