The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has dismissed Entain’s attempt to block an EU trademark application by its Italian rival Sportbet.
Entain, which owns the Sportingbet brand, had opposed Sportbet S.R.L.’s application for a logo mark covering gambling and entertainment services. It argued that the name and branding were too close to its own ‘SPORTINGBET’ trademarks and could confuse consumers.
However, EUIPO disagreed. It said the shared terms “sport” and “bet” were common and descriptive words in the gambling industry, and therefore not distinctive enough to give Entain exclusive rights.
Even though both brands operate in the same space, the regulator said the similarities between the two marks were too weak to cause confusion.
