Mbappé is not on the sidelines either when it comes to IP law

It’s been 2 weeks since the EURO football tournament started, and intellectual property law still prevails during this event. Indeed, intellectual property is everywhere, even (or especially) in football! This EURO 2024 is another opportunity to focus on our most famous player, Kylian Mbappé, and his relationship with intellectual property.

As a savvy businessman, Kylian Mbappé has worked hard on his image, especially on protecting his brand image. This protection now stretches beyond French borders. Indeed, the athlete currently owns 16 European Union trade marks. They include both word marks with his name and figurative marks featuring his initials, the names of his charitable foundations in various forms, or even his silhouette… But that’s not all!

More recently, two of the young footballer’s most famous quotes have been registered as word marks with the EUIPO:

• “Moi, tu m’parles pas d’âge” (Don’t talk to me about age), filed on 26 October 2020 for classes 16 (for school stationery and rubbish bags) and 25 (for clothing)
• “Le football, il a changé.” (Football has changed), filed on 13 February 2023 for classes 16 (same), 18 (for bags), 21 (for kitchenware), 24 (for textiles, among others), and 25 (for football-related accessories)

These quotes were very popular on social media, becoming “memes,” elements that are widely replicated and adapted by internet users. The athlete, accompanied by intellectual property experts, chose to capitalise on these out-of-context phrases that amused the public so much by registering them as trade marks.

In addition, several versions of the player’s silhouette have been registered as figurative marks since 2017. These also represent his famous pose that went viral in the media.

The scope of these trade marks includes a wide range of classes, mainly for merchandise products from the athlete’s image. With such a portfolio of trade marks, Kylian Mbappé has ensured a bright financial future around his now iconic image.

Perhaps this will inspire his colleagues as well… Indeed, we can see that intellectual property is a topic that young celebrities are keen on. Given that football is a popular sport and a significant force in the economic market, significant conflicts in this field will certainly be brought about, and not only on the football field anymore.

What about you? Would you buy a rubbish bag or toilet paper “Moi, tu m’parles pas d’âge” to support Mbappé and potentially increase the chances of the French team’s victory?

This reminds us that trademark law can extend to any type and form of signs, which can be found anywhere on the market.

It’s essential to be advised by intellectual property professionals, regardless of your field of activity. Don’t hesitate to contact us, Mark & Law team will be happy to help you.

– Valentine BLANQUINQUE, IP Legal Intern at Mark & Law