F150 Vs. F150 The automotive market is special

The F1 2011 season championship fight recently began in Australia this last March. However, teams had already started their challenge during the pre season tests, where they began to reveal their new weapons. Further to the dispute on the LOTUS trademark by two different teams, FERRARI launched their new F-150 race car for the current season.

The car was named F-150, in honor of the 150th anniversary of Italy`s unification; for many, it was clear that such name meant Ferrari 150 although not for FORD Motors, who claimed that such use by Ferrari was in conflict with the Ford truck F-150.

Since Ferrari decided to change its car’s name to Ferrari 150th Italia, Ford Motors decided not to continue the dispute; however, if the case would have been solved in court maybe the results could have been different.

In accordance with a decision rendered by the Venezuelan Trademark Office, namely Resolution No.1235, published in Official Bulletin No. 475, which solved the case of T-3500 MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION and C-3500 owned by GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION, both covering “vehicles” in class 12. The decision established that the goods involved belonged to a “selective market, in which the consumer does not easily get confused considering the specific products and their high costs”.

In case that there had been a dispute between Ferrari and Ford Motors in Venezuela, it seems clear that for consumers trucks and race cars are not confusingly similar and of course, race cars would not be found at a car dealer.