Lionel Messi wins seven-year long court case

Lionel Messi is no stranger to winning battles on the pitch. Making defenders feel like they made a mistake by choosing football as a profession. And now, he has won a battle in court against a bicycle company named Massi.

According to Marca, the Argentina captain wanted to register his surname as a brand that sells sporting equipment and clothing. He, however, had to overcome a bicycle company named Massi, who claimed that people would confuse both the brands because of the similarity in their names.  

The case reached the second highest EU court, General Court, when the brand, Massi, successfully complained to the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).

Also read: Messi overtakes Ronaldo in list of football's highest earners

The EUIPO argued that Lionel Messi’s fame, amalgamated with the similarity in their names, means that people would confuse the two brands and think of them as one and same.

As a result, the two have been in a court battle for the last seven years and Messi has finally won the case as the court has adjudged the bicycle company’s claims dismissible. 

The court said: 'Mr Messi is, in fact, a well-known public figure who can be seen on television and who is regularly discussed on television or on the radio.'

The court also stated even though some people might not know Messi, the ones who will buy his products are surely going to know him.

The former Newell’s kid has played 633 games for Barcelona only last week scored his 600^th goal last week.

Also read: Cristiano Ronaldo more complete than Messi according to Bayern midfielder