Few disputes illustrate the value of early trademark planning as clearly as the case involving Louis Vuitton and Brazilian entrepreneur and influencer Leticia Vaz.
In 2019, when Leticia Vaz applied to register the trademark “LV Store” before the Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office (BPTO), the French luxury house filed an opposition, arguing that the sign presented visual and identity similarities with its own brand “LV”.
The applicant had to change its strategy and today, the registered trademark is LETICIA VAZ STORE. The case drew wide attention in Brazil and sparked legal debate about preventive trademark registration, brand protection and the constant monitoring of intellectual property assets.
Who is Leticia Vaz
Leticia Vaz founded her women’s fashion brand in 2015, while she was still a journalism student at Faculdade Cásper Líbero, in São Paulo. The business began with an initial investment of R$ 500 and two sewing machines, as a source of extra income, and gradually moved from reselling garments to fully in-house design and production. The store went on to exceed R$ 10 million in annual revenue and built a large community on social media, where the brand’s Instagram profile now has more than half a million followers.
Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/DIjPflNxh5S/
Available at: https://www.instagram.com/leticiavaz/
Her career soon expanded beyond the store. She created MODALAB, presented as the first course platform dedicated to fashion e-commerce in Brazil, and in 2024 became a partner and Head of Fashion Innovation at Nuvemshop. She is now recognized in the Brazilian market as a reference in fashion entrepreneurship, digital marketing and content creation.
This background explains what was at stake when the opposition was filed in 2019, against Leticia Vaz’ mark. Letica Vaz’ business was only a few years old, but it was already a growing business whose value depended heavily on the founder’s personal image. Securing a registered trademark was essential to protect that investment, and the later decision to anchor the brand in her own name, reflects exactly that connection between the entrepreneur and the business she built.
Why two letters can lead to a trademark dispute
Acronyms and initials are common choices for new brands. They are short, easy to remember and often derived from the founder’s name, as was the case with the composite mark. The difficulty arises when the same letters already identify a previously-registered and famous brand in the consumer’s mind.
Owners of well-known trademarks invest heavily in keeping their signs distinctive. Each similar mark that enters the market, even in a different segment or with a different meaning, may weaken the exclusive association between the sign and its original owner. This phenomenon, known as brand dilution, explains why companies like Louis Vuitton maintain active trademark watch programs and challenge applications they consider too close to their own identity.
From the brand owner’s perspective, the opposition filed against the mark is an example of intellectual property enforcement at the earliest possible stage, before the conflicting sign is registered and consolidated in the market.
Rebranding as a legal strategy
The response adopted by Leticia Vaz is worth examining. Instead of relying solely on a long administrative dispute with an uncertain outcome, she repositioned the brand around her own name. The new mark preserves the connection with the founder, who already enjoyed strong recognition on social media, while moving the brand away from the isolated LV initials that motivated the opposition.
This kind of adjustment resulted in a more distinctive trademark, which is easier to register and easier to defend against third parties. It also shows that trademark strategy is not limited to filing an application. It involves assessing risks, anticipating conflicts and, when necessary, adapting the sign to secure protection.
Lessons for entrepreneurs and growing brands
The first lesson concerns timing. Brazil follows the first-to-file system, under which the right to a trademark is acquired through registration granted by the BPTO. Building a brand for years without a registration, or filing only after the business has already gained visibility, increases exposure to disputes and to the risk of losing the name altogether.
The second lesson concerns clearance. A trademark availability search carried out before the filing identifies earlier registrations and applications that may block the new sign, including well-known trademarks that already enjoy a high degree of consumer recognition. That analysis allows the entrepreneur to choose a name with a better chance of approval before investing in visual identity, domains and social media profiles.
The third lesson concerns distinctiveness. Signs formed only by initials, descriptive terms or common expressions tendo to face more obstacles, while original names or combinations with the founder’s name usually offer greater registrability and a stronger position in the event of conflict.
The fourth lesson applies to every trademark owner, large or small. Registration is the starting point, and protection depends on continuous monitoring of the BPTO’s gazette to detect conflicting marks in time to file oppositions and, where appropriate, administrative nullity proceedings. The Louis Vuitton case shows that established brands treat this monitoring as part of their routine.
Trademarks as business assets
A trademark concentrates the reputation, customer loyalty and commercial value built over years of work. For fashion brands and digital businesses that grow quickly through social media, this intangible asset often represents a significant share of the company’s value. Protecting it through registration and ongoing surveillance is a decision that affects fundraising, licensing, franchising and any future sale of the business.
The LV Store case ended with a solution that allowed the entrepreneur to keep growing under a registered trademark of her own. Many businesses, however, discover trademark conflicts only after the brand has become well known, when changing the name costs far more.
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Author: Laura Rodrigues Longhi, Lígia Ferreira Marcondes Rocha e Cesar Peduti Filho, Peduti Advogados
Source:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdFR4m8PnpN/?stkn=MWY2cjV0NzBrYTZlYg==
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWROmKkkWpO/
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If you would like to learn more about this topic, please contact the author or Dr. Cesar Peduti Filho.