The Italian Piaggio Group, which owns the Vespa brand, has won a legal suit against a Chinese copy of the design. The Piaggio Group said in a statement that the invalidity division of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has invalidated a design registered by a Chinese party. The company said that the edition of EICMA 2019 was presented last year of the motorcycle show in Chinese Design Milan. The design was removed following a complaint by Piaggio.
The Chinese design was registered under the name of Chen Huang, the EU decision showed. The Vespa Primavera is protected by a design registered in 2013 by the Piaggio Group. The design is registered as a three-dimensional trademark of the Vespa scooter and by copyright that protects the artistic value of the Vespa shape. It has been a style icon since 1946. According to Piaggio, the EU case was part of the "widespread activities against counterfeiting" carried out by Piaggio over the years. Over 50 trademarks registered by third parties have been revoked in the last two years.
The European Union Intellectual Property Office has found that Chinese design is the original Vespa Primavera model and "closely reproduces the features" and "lacks individual character". The European Union stated, "Vespa Primavera's EUIPO Invalidation Division canceled the registration because it was unable to achieve a distinct general effect in relation to the registered design", and stated that the registration to reproduce the aesthetic elements of the scooter Was an unlawful attempt. Therefore it must be "invalid".
