@vivek_jayaram: Cristiano Ronaldo built CR7 into a global brand. Then he brought it to the United States and ran into a trademark problem: Someone else had already registered CR7 for clothing in the U.S. In trademark law, brand can be famous around the world and still face obstacles when it enters a new market. Ronaldo's argument was straightforward: consumers everywhere associate CR7 with him. The registrant's argument was even simpler: he got the U.S. rights first. The dispute was ultimately resolved privately, so we'll never know how a court or the USPTO would have ruled. But the takeaway is one I give clients all the time: trademark rights don't automatically travel across borders. Before expanding into a new country, run a trademark search, talk to a lawyer and understand the landscape you’re walking into. #TrademarkLaw #BrandStrategy #Ronaldo #WorldCup #IPLaw #LawyersforInnovators
