EU’s top court backs Audi in trademark dispute with spare parts company By Reuters

© Reuters. The Audi AG logo was photographed at the 63rd Annual General Meeting of Volkswagen AG in Berlin, Germany, May 10, 2023. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/ file photo

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union’s top court has ruled in favor of Volkswagen (ETR:)’s Audi in a dispute that could limit the spare parts maker’s ability to use signs similar to the automaker’s logo.

The case, filed in a Warsaw court, concerns a Polish online retailer that sold spare radiator grilles suitable for older Audi models that included engraved space for Audi’s four-ring logo.

Audi challenged the design and the Warsaw court asked the EU Court of Justice whether Audi, as a trademark holder, could be banned from selling the parts.

The EU court has ruled that using shapes similar to the Audi logo without consent may violate trademark law.

“(The form) is open to the public seeking to purchase such spare parts. This may constitute a material link between the spare parts in question and the owner of the AUDI trademark,” the court said. File a lawsuit in a Polish court.