Ferrari is preparing to soon reveal its first 100% electric car, the Luce, opening a new chapter in its legendary history. However, this model may also become the subject of a dispute over the rights to use its commercial name, as Mazda, which previously had a model with that name, has re-registered the name with the Japanese patent office.
The issue of intellectual rights has created some complicated situations for car manufacturers, but Ferrari is confident that it has the authority to use the name Luce for its first electric vehicle, after seeing Mazda register the name Luce in Japan on March 4, that is, after the Italian brand announced the name of the model. However, the trademark registration from Hiroshima may require some changes in the marketing of Ferrari’s model in Japan, something that, for the brand of the cavallino rampante, is not up for discussion.
In a clarification provided to the website Carscoops, Ferrari explains that “it holds the right to use the registered trademark ‘Ferrari Luce’ internationally, through its registration under international law. As always, Ferrari conducted prior research, which did not identify any active rights of third parties that may conflict with ours”. The Japanese Luce was a premium sedan, marketed in Japan between the 1960s and 1990s (known as the Mazda 929 in other markets), and was discontinued in 1991, at which point the name Luce was no longer used by Mazda.
