HALABALA
HALABALA is more than just the name of a designer. We represented MODERNISTA in proceedings concerning the registration of the HALABALA trademark.
MODERNISTA is a Czech furniture company focused on restoring original furniture pieces and producing authorised replicas based on designs by Jindřich Halabala. The Czech Industrial Property Office repeatedly refused to register the HALABALA trademark on the grounds that the public perceived it primarily as a designation of a furniture style rather than a trademark identifying a specific producer.
During the proceedings, we focused on how the designation functioned in commercial practice and on its long-standing association with MODERNISTA and its products. We demonstrated that, in certain circumstances, even a personal name may function as a trademark.
The Czech Industrial Property Office subsequently reconsidered its original position and registered the HALABALA trademark.
