LOT and Lufthansa tails: Risk of confusion?
Lot/Lufthansa/Montage aeroTELEGRAPH
Crane vs. crane
Lot raises objection to new Lufthansa brand image
The Polish national carrier fears a risk of confusion. Lot is objecting the registration of Lufthansa's blue and white figurative mark.
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The D-ABYA was the first aircraft to receive the new Lufthansa livery. On February 8, 2018, the Boeing 747 toured Germany and presented the modernized brand scheme to the public.
Since then, dozens more aircraft have been repainted. The striking yellow on the tail slowly disappears from German airports. One competitor does not like that at all - Polish national airline LOT.
«Unfair advantage»
After Lufthansa's attorneys had the new design quickly and easily registered as a figurative mark in Germany, they also registered it in Europe in August 2018. But things didn't go so smoothly there. In December, a law firm from Lublin on behalf of Lot appealed against the protection of the new dark blue tail fin which sports a white crane in a circle.
The statement for the appeal states that Lufthansa's new look creates a «likelihood of confusion» and offers its German competitor an «unfair advantage». In addition, the distinctiveness of LOT’s brand or reputation would be hurt. Lufthansa confirms that there is some trouble: «We are in talks with LOT», says a spokeswoman.
A tale of two cranes
LOT also uses dark blue on the tail of its planes. The airline's logo can be seen in white, just like that of its German competitor: a crane in a circle. It was created in 1930 by designer Tadeusz Lucjan Gronowski. The Lufthansa crane logo was created in 1918, when the designer Otto Firle came up with it for the predecessor company Deutsche Luft-Reederei.
As people familiar with the matter tell aeroTELEGRAPH, LOT ist complaining because that Lufthansa uses the same or similar colors. In addition, the two encircled cranes resemble each other since the brand overhaul according to the Polish airline.
In the picture gallery above you can compare the brand images of LOT and Lufthansa.
LOT and Lufthansa tails: Risk of confusion?
Lot/Lufthansa/Montage aeroTELEGRAPH
A LOT Dreamliner.
Lot
A Lufthansa Boeing 777X.
Boeing/aeroTELEGRAPH (Montage)
LOT‘s legal complaint.
Deutsches Patentamt/Montage aeroTELEGRAPH
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