The aim of these articles is to keep our Clients and Associates updated about developments in the sector of Intellectual Property in general and our firm in particular. In this way, we wish to provide a broader view of the tools that the field of trade marks, domain names, patents, designs and related rights offers to entrepreneurs to enhance and protect their efforts in researching and developing new solutions and ideas.
Sound mark “I am Giusy Ferreri”: is our Italian singer following the Taylor Swift branding approach?
As is known, both the EU and Italian trademark law provide for the registration of so called “non-traditional trademarks”, including sound marks and other non-visual signs.
A recent development from Italy concerns a sound mark application filed before the EUIPO in the name of the Italian singer Giusy Ferreri. The application consists of a short spoken recording of the phrase: “I am Giusy Ferreri”, captured in the artist’s own voice and intended to function as a distinctive identifier of her artistic identity.
By way of context, Giusy Ferreri (born Giuseppa Gaetana Ferreri) is an Italian singer-songwriter who rose to prominence after participating in the first Italian edition of X Factor in 2008, where she finished as runner-up. She subsequently achieved significant commercial success in the Italian music market, becoming widely recognised for her distinctive and highly identifiable voice.
The filing is a further example of the increasingly broad approach to trademark protection for elements linked to personal branding and identity, particularly in the entertainment and music sectors.
It also inevitably recalls the well-known brand protection strategy adopted by Taylor Swift, who has extensively relied on trademark filings covering names, slogans and various elements associated with her artistic and commercial universe.
More generally, these developments confirm the growing relevance of non-traditional marks as part of modern branding strategies, also in relation to personality rights and entertainment assets.
As always, please feel free to contact INTERPATENT should you wish to explore the possibility of protecting similar non-traditional signs, or to assess the most effective filing strategy at EU or national level.