In recent years, the VERT brand, owned by the French company VEJA FAIR TRADE SARL, has become popular in the Brazilian market to identify footwear, especially tennis shoes, which are easily recognised by the green “V” printed on the side.
What not everyone knows is that these shoes only entered the Brazilian market in 2014, after having originated in France in 2005 and being popularised throughout the world (with the exception of Brazil) by the “VEJA” sign.
The “VEJA” brand was deliberately created using a word of Portuguese origin to invite the customer to look at what is behind the product (which is what the word “VEJA” means in Brazil): Brazilian manufacturing, cotton producing families and rubber tapper cooperatives in the country.
With the expansion of the products to Europe and the United States, the “VEJA” trainers arrived on the Brazilian market. However, there was an obstacle to registering the “VEJA” trademark in the country.
Upon entering the Brazilian market, the footwear brand encountered a technical problem that would prevent it from using the sign in the country: a previous registration in Class 25, which designates clothing. So as not to start its journey in Brazil with a conflict, it decided to adopt the “VERT” mark in the country, which is of French origin.
In order to strengthen the brand, which is used worldwide, in Brazil, VEJA FAIR TRADE SARL was able to buy the previous brand in 2022, which prevented its use.
This purchase allowed the company’s other trademarks to be registered at the Brazilian BPTO and thus adopted by the company in practice, so that they could be standardised with the strong sign that identifies the trainers produced by the company.
This is an important example of the awareness and strategy that must be adopted before entering a market. Prior analysis and strategic thinking can avoid major problems in the future.
Peduti Advogados has a team that specialises in this area and will certainly be able to help you with these issues.
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Author: Marília de Oliveira Fogaça and Cesar Peduti Filho, Peduti Advogados.
Source: A Vert agora se chama Veja: entenda por que a marca de tênis mudou de nome + https://exame.com/casual/a-vert-agora-se-chama-veja-entenda-por-que-a-marca-de-tenis-mudou-de-nome/
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“If you want to learn more about this topic, contact the author or the managing partner, Dr. Cesar Peduti Filho.”
“Se quiser saber mais sobre este tema, contate o autor ou o Dr. Cesar Peduti Filho.”