The real sense of VIAGRA, T-332/10

On 25/01/2012 Pfizer Inc. from New York owning trademark VIAGRA won the case against Polish company VIAGUARA SA who tried to register its name as a community trademark for drinks.

The EU General Court held that trademarks VIAGRA and VIAGUARA have "strong similarity" (§ 42). The Polish company argued that there is a huge difference between the pharmaceutical product for stimulation of erection (class 5) and drinks (classes 32 and 33) - they are in different classes, and Pfizer Inc. never tried to move to the class of drinks (§§ 44-45).

The judges replied that the "association" between the trademarks remains "possible", since VIAGRA has a huge recognition that extends the limits of the public interested in pharmaceutical erection (§ 52). Thus the real sense of VIAGRA may cover the class of drinks.