Lithuanian leisure and sportswear producer loses dispute with Audi

Lithuania's leisure and sportswear producer Audimas has lost a legal dispute with Germany's carmaker Audi over the registration of its logo as a European Union trademark, the daily Lietuvos Rytas reported.

The EU General Court has recently upheld the European Union Intellectual Property Office's decision that the trademark applied for registration by Audimas may be confused with the Audi AG trademark.

The Lithuanian company turned to the court after its appeal was rejected by the EUIPO Board of Appeal.

According to the court, "Audi” is the main element in the "Audimas" mark, which may create a likelihood of confusion for consumers, especially Spanish speakers who could perceive it as "Audi Plus".

The Lithuanian company says the decision will have no major impact on its operations and expansion strategy.