Independente leader defends trademark, threatens legal action | OneFootball

Henrique Gomes de Lima, known as Baby, one of the main leaders of Independente, registered the slogan “torcida que conduz” (“the crowd that leads”) as a trademark, a phrase widely used by São Paulo in recent years. The application was filed on February 9, 2023, approved on June 18, 2024, and officially granted on August 6, 2024, just a few days before the club launched a third kit in tribute to the fans, featuring exactly the registered phrase.

Baby’s registration process lists Karoline Brandão as the legal representative, who worked as the legal supervisor for Tricolor between 2003 and 2014, according to her public LinkedIn profile, where no subsequent employment is listed. This coincidence caught the attention of fans and raised questions.

São Paulo has used the phrase in official publications at least since August 2021, but its use intensified from 2023 onwards. In addition to social media, the club began selling licensed products with the brand last year, which could have financial implications if a legal dispute arises. As of the closing of this edition, the club had not commented.

The repercussion led Baby to publish a lengthy statement on his social media, which first came as a response to the radio station ‘Band News‘, the first media outlet to report the case, calling the initial coverage “biased” and stating that there is no financial charge to the club.

“Do you know when Baby charged São Paulo for using the phrase? Never! Do you know how much Baby earns from São Paulo’s use of the phrase? Nothing! On the contrary, São Paulo is profiting from something created by Baby, which makes me immensely happy and proud,” he said.

According to him, the registration was made to protect the phrase from third-party use. “I simply protected my intellectual property and, with that, prevent rivals from using the phrase or another São Paulo fan from using it commercially for personal gain,” he wrote. “Now, as for São Paulo, the profit is 100% the institution’s,” he pointed out.

Baby also mentioned the origin of the slogan, linking it to the fans’ mobilization in 2017, when the club was fighting relegation. “What’s interesting is that these vile and cowardly attacks come with the collective amnesia and ingratitude of those who, for convenience, decided to forget that this unity created by the fans, of which I am a part, in the calls for support during the risk of relegation in the 2017 Brazilian league, saved São Paulo that year,” he emphasized.

The leader of Independente stated that he is monitoring the legal developments and warned that he will take action against those accusing him of illicit gains. “I am already working with my lawyers to identify those accusing me of illicit gains so that proper measures can be taken. Social media may seem like lawless land, but it is not,” he concluded.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.