FCSB loses final appeal to register 'FCSB Steaua' trademark at EUIPO

FCSB has lost its final legal appeal at the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) regarding the registration of the 'FCSB Steaua' trademark. The Bucharest-based club had initiated the process to register the verbal mark in 2023, but the decision marks the end of three years of legal proceedings.

The opposition to the trademark registration was filed by Steaua Noua Generație, a football club dedicated to children and juniors. EUIPO had issued an initial verdict against FCSB in May, but the club pursued an appeal which has now been rejected with the same negative outcome.

As part of the ruling, FCSB is required to cover the legal costs incurred by the opponent during the appeal procedure, which are set at 550 EUR. The total financial obligation for the club across both the opposition and appeal stages amounts to 1,170 EUR.

The Board of Appeal upheld the decision by confirming a risk of confusion among Italian and Spanish-speaking audiences. This assessment considered the identity of the services involved, the similarities between the signs, and the distinctiveness of the earlier mark.

Reports indicate that this specific EUIPO case concerned only a verbal mark rather than one for commercial application on official merchandise such as tickets or shirts. Consequently, even a successful registration would not have permitted the use of the name 'Steaua' on such items or facilitated a team name change.

This development follows previous rulings by Romanian courts which stripped FCSB of the right to use the 'Steaua București' brand. The domestic judiciary also determined that the club cannot claim the historical achievements of Steaua București prior to 1998, when the football section separated from CSA Steaua.