EUIPO Sides With Sol de Janeiro in Trademark Dispute Over 'SOL DE' Branding
Jul/27/2026
The EUIPO Opposition Division has upheld Sol de Janeiro IP, Inc.’s opposition against the SOL DE IPANEMA trademark application, rejecting the mark in its entirety for perfumes and skincare cosmetics after finding a likelihood of confusion with the earlier SOL DE JANEIRO registration. The Office concluded that the competing signs shared sufficiently similar visual, phonetic, and conceptual characteristics—particularly the prominent "SOL DE" element and references to geographically linked locations in Rio de Janeiro—to create a risk that consumers would assume a commercial connection between the brands. Despite additional wording and figurative elements in the contested mark, EUIPO ruled these distinctions were insufficient to overcome the similarities, reinforcing the importance of protecting established brand identities in the highly competitive beauty and fragrance sector.
