Formula 1: Despite Red Bull’s on-track dominance, Max Verstappen has suffered another setback. His plans to launch a new clothing brand have been halted by Nike, who argued that the proposed name, ‘Max 1’, was too similar to their own Air Max shoes and would cause confusion among consumers. Follow Formula 1 LIVE Updates with InsideSport.IN.
As a result, Nike successfully prevented Verstappen from using the name for its brand. The Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP) handled the case and concluded that there was a “likelihood of confusion“. According to the BOIP’s investigation, it was possible that consumers could mistake the designs as belonging to the same company.
Nike has put a stop to Max Verstappen’s ‘Max 1’ clothing brand as they believe the name is too similar to their Nike: Air Max shoe range.
Besides the name, there also seems to be an issue with the styling.
The report by The Benelux Office for Intellectual Property states: “The… pic.twitter.com/poK1Mipajv
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More bad news for Max Verstappen
Verstappen’s clothing brand is facing another challenge related to the design of the clothes, which have been deemed “partially identical and partially similar“. As a result, Verstappen will have to change the name before releasing any items.
Additionally, the BOIP report stated that the defendant must pay the opposition a sum of £918 (€1,045). The report noted that both Verstappen’s proposed brand name and Nike’s Air Max shoes feature the word “MAX“, although in different positions. Furthermore, in both trademarks, the elements “AIR” and “MAX” have equal significance in the overall impression.Based on the analysis provided by the BOIP, the agency concludes that the names “Max 1” and “Air Max” are too similar.