Beiersdorf Expands Global Trademark Offensive Around NIVEA
May/13/2026
Beiersdorf has intensified its trademark enforcement campaign after opposing Shenzhen Heze Technology’s US application for 'NOVEA', filed for products ranging from condoms and massage devices to sex toys and contraceptive apparatus, arguing that the mark trades too closely on the identity of its globally recognized NIVEA brand. The dispute quickly gained a European dimension as Beiersdorf also prevailed in a parallel EUIPO case against the 'LIVIA' trademark, where regulators concluded that the mark’s pronunciation was strikingly similar to NIVEA despite limited visual resemblance. The EUIPO emphasized that both names share nearly identical rhythm, cadence, and vowel structure in English, creating what it described as an "overwhelming" aural similarity likely to confuse consumers in the cosmetics sector. Together, the cases illustrate how major consumer-goods groups are increasingly extending brand-protection strategies beyond traditional skincare categories, policing phonetic imitation and adjacent lifestyle markets as trademark conflicts become more nuanced and globalized.
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