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Misleading date in a company's trademark should invalidate it, ECJ rules

By Douglas Clarke-Williams ( March 26, 2026, 13:07 GMT | Insight) -- Companies that incorporate a number into their trademark that could give a false impression that they have been established longer than they really have are misleading the public and should have their trademark invalidated, the EU’s highest court has said. The date could wrongly suggest “longstanding know-how,” judges said.A French company that registered a trademark that falsely implied it had been in operation since 1717 can be found guilty of deceiving the public and have its trademark invalidated, the EU Court of Justice ruled on Thursday. The date could wrongly suggest “longstanding know-how,” judges said....

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