Swiss Federal Court upholds ban on Mexican food brand Bimbo’s trademark

The Mexican food company Bimbo has been barred from registering its trademark “Bimbo QSR” in Switzerland. The Federal Court upheld the decision of the Federal Administrative Court and the Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI), citing the term's discriminatory connotations in German. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox In its ruling, the Federal Court highlighted that under Swiss law, a trademark registration can be refused or invalidated if it violates good morals or public order. Names or signs with content deemed racist are considered to violate these standards. In their verdict published on Friday, the judges in Lausanne upheld the Federal Administrative Court’s decision from last May. They stated that the term “bimbo” is “a highly discriminatory insult towards people of colour.” What does “bimbo” mean? The appellant, based in Mexico, argued that the word “bimbo” lacks a fixed meaning and is interpreted differently among German speakers. In ...