FIFA Doesn’t Own Christmas

Far be it from us to take pleasure from FIFA’s pain, but that is exactly what we are doing today. In a federal courtroom in Germany today, a ruling was made that the world’s football governing body could not prevent German firms from using the term “Fussball WM 2006″ (”Football World Cup 2006″) in advertisements. The plantiff in the case argued that the term “World Cup” belonging exclusively to FIFA would be like the Vatican trying to patent the terms “Eater” and “Christmas.” The court agreed that FIFA is a Grinch and now the term can be plastered all over signs for brothels and other products in Germany.

The ruling only applies in Germany and it is unclear what impact this will have in other countries and on the Web. Our cadre of lawyers are following this case closely given all that we have at stake now that we own the terms “Sergio Aguero™” and “The Next, Next Maradona™.”

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