Collaborating with a trademark can be a risky business – Feyenoord withdraws

The New York Times described Rotterdam as a prime city for investment and for good reason.

The city’s strategic location alongside the river Maas makes it highly accessible and it is clear for all to see that Rotterdam, renowned for its daring architecture and vibrant cultural initiatives, is a booming city.

The city had plans for a large urban-development project in Rotterdam-South under the name Feyenoord City. A project aimed at the construction of residential, commercial and public amenities. Why Feyenoord City? The Feyenoord Stadium and Feyenoord Football Club collaborated on the project, as a new stadium formed part of the development plan.

In 2022, however, the club was forced to withdraw from the partnership due to a lack of financial resources and manpower. They also requested the name for the new district – Feyenoord City – to be changed, as Feyenoord is an exclusive trademark of the football club.

Football clubs are undeniably major international brands with a global reach. The more engaged the fans and the more expressed outwardly, the greater the brand value and the stronger the trademark.

Fortunately, the other parties collaborating on the project are able to continue the project. The development area now has a new name: Rotterdams Tij.

Collaborations with famous trademarks can be exciting and rewarding, but they also come with risks. For instance, a project might not be executed as planned, or a partnership may fail to take off. We advise you to be aware of such potential scenarios.

Author: Erwin Haüer

Bio: Erwin is a trademark attorney and, as the managing partner, in charge of IT and Information Management. He works extensively with startups and scale-ups, while his clientele also includes numerous multinational corporations. Erwin possesses a sharp wit and a keen eye for remarkable trademark news and curious brand infringements.