‘The Panama Papers’ trademark application field
Trademark applications have been field for ‘Panama Papers’, which refers to the term used by the media to describe the massive leak of confidential documents from the Mossack Fonseca law firm in Panama, which reveals and identify international politicians, business leaders and celebrities involved in webs of suspicious financial transactions.
The applications have been filed at the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and at the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA). The name of the EUIPO applicant for the term ‘Panama Papers’ is currently not available, but it is already known that the application at the DPMA, for the term “The Panama Papers”, was applied by a company from Munich called Casaaam.
Reini Putscher is the owner of the digital business called Casaam, and also founder of an advertising and creative agency called ‘Die Schöne Agentur’. The marketer from Munich has plans on writing a movie and selling merchandise related to the leak.
The trademark was filed on April 4th, just a day after the first news reports were public and applied in relation to goods and services in classes 9 (electronic publications, software, photographic, cinematographic…), 40 (treatment of materials) and 41(entertainment, publications, education). Casaaam has also applied for the same mark at the EUIPO. On the other hand, the other EUIPO application, whose applicant is still unknown, covers classes 16 (paper, photographs, printed matter), 38 (telecommunications), 40 and 41.