Croatian Chef Claims Rights to Culinary Trademark

The news in Croatian

1. bivši
   Koji je nekada bio takav, ali više nije. ↩︎
2. marka  (f.)
   Ime ili simbol koji označava određeni proizvod ili uslugu. ↩︎
3. propust  (m.)
   Nešto što je propušteno ili zaboravljeno, greška zbog nemara. ↩︎
4. pokrenuti
   Započeti nešto što će se dalje razvijati ili događati. ↩︎
5. pravni
   Koji se odnosi na pravo, zakone i pravne postupke. ↩︎
6. inovativan
   Koji se temelji na novim, originalnim idejama ili metodama. ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: Who became the owner of the trademarks ‘Kult Plave Kamenice’ and ‘Plava Kamenica’?

Question 2: What action did the portal take after Mario Mandarić claimed the trademarks?

Vocabulary

Croatian	English
bivši	former
marka  (f.)	brand
propust  (m.)	omission
pokrenuti	to start
pravni	legal
inovativan	innovative

Read the full story

The Croatian culinary scene was stirred recently by the announcement from former chef of Zagreb’s celebrated restaurant Noel, Mario Mandarić, regarding his acquisition of trademarks “Kult Plave Kamenice” and “Plava Kamenica”. The news emerged after Mandarić publicised on social media that he now holds ownership of these registered trademarks.

Mandarić, who transitioned from his role at Noel, has stated that securing these trademarks was not motivated by any negative reviews he might have received from the portal “Kult Plave Kamenice,” which is known for its critical gastronomic evaluations. His aim, he explained, was to highlight the business shortcomings of portal operator, Davor Butković, a veteran culinary critic who, notably, had not trademarked the portal’s name.

According to Mandarić, he remains open to offering these trademarks for free to those with innovative ideas, provided they meet specific criteria, such as proving they are not significant tax debtors. This comment has been interpreted as a skeptic jab at Butković’s financial obligations.

The news has prompted a reaction from Sanja Simić, editor of the “Kult Plave Kamenice” portal, who described Mandarić’s actions as done “in bad faith.” She emphasized that the portal has been operating under this name for ten years and views the acquisition as an identity misuse. The portal is currently pursuing legal steps to address the matter.

The case also offers a deeper insight into the complexities of intellectual property laws in Croatia. While Mandarić’s registration of the trademarks is valid, it does not automatically extend rights over the portal’s domain name, as outlined by CARNET, Croatia’s domain name registry authority. If necessary, an arbitration process could be initiated to resolve this domain name dispute, following specific criteria to assess legitimacy and ownership.

Mandarić’s departure from Noel and his recent actions have drawn noteworthy attention. Though the decision elicited surprise within the culinary community, it highlights the importance of legal preparedness in safeguarding brand identities in today’s competitive marketplace.

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