Patent troll wins Bitcoin logo trademark, now claims online copyright infringement

An individual has secured a trademark registration for the Bitcoin logo in Spain (ES5020240 M4296236), which is now being leveraged to issue global copyright infringement claims against sellers on platforms like Amazon and Etsy.

Amazon's Brand Registry and Etsy's IP portal accept Spanish trademark registrations, allowing the rights holder to quickly remove listings across multiple international storefronts, despite Spanish courts having twice ruled that the Bitcoin logo is in the public domain within Spain, deeming attempts to monopolize it as bad faith.

The current situation is driven by the disconnect between platform policy, which relies on filed paperwork, and Spanish case law. Sellers are advised to document takedowns and prepare counter-notices citing the prior Spanish rulings. The long-term resolution depends on challenging the Spanish registration through administrative invalidity or nullity actions, which could take months to show up in public records and prompt platforms to pause enforcement.

(Source：CryptoSlate)