Over the past months, both the Czech Industrial Property Office (ÚPV) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) sided with BJUTIP and refused the trademark applications filed by the pharmacy chain Dr. Max for its "Bjut by Dr. Max" beauty concept, across the very categories where BJUTIP operates.
A Name We Stand Behind
BJUTIP has been part of the European fragrance and luxury beauty market for years. "BJUT" sits at the heart of our company name. It is part of who we are, and part of how our partners and customers know us.
In late 2024, the "Bjut by Dr. Max" concept arrived in the same space we work in every day. Luxury cosmetics, fragrance, beauty retail. We took the view that this created a real likelihood of confusion, so we did what any company protecting its identity would do. We turned to the competent authorities and let the law decide.
The Law Decided. Five Times.
These were not close calls, and they were not one-offs. Across five separate proceedings, two independent authorities reached the same conclusion. The Czech ÚPV and the EU's EUIPO both found that the word "Bjut" is the dominant and distinctive part of the contested marks, and that adding "by Dr. Max" does little to change that. In their assessment it reads as a supplementary indication of origin. Not enough to remove the likelihood of confusion with BJUTIP's rights. Similarity was confirmed visually, phonetically, and conceptually.
Five proceedings. Two authorities. One consistent outcome.
What This Covers
Registration was refused for the categories that matter most to our business. Cosmetics and perfumery (class 3), pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements (class 5), printed and packaging materials (class 16), apparel (class 25), retail and trade services in these categories (class 35), logistics (class 39), educational and publishing services (class 41), and pharmaceutical and beauty advisory services (class 44).
Still Going
These five decisions are part of a wider set of proceedings concerning the BJUT brand, and further matters remain active. We will keep defending our registered rights through the proper legal channels, calmly and consistently, exactly as we have done so far.
Our thanks go to the Czech Industrial Property Office and the European Union Intellectual Property Office for the care they brought to these cases.
BJUTIP a.s. is a European distribution and direct-to-consumer company specialising in premium and luxury Arabian fragrances, serving retail, e-commerce, and travel retail partners across the EU. For partnership enquiries, contact us at info@bjutip.com.