Who is Pablo Escobar?
Escobar, founder and boss of the Medellin cartel, was known throughout the 1970s and 80s for engaging in bloody conflict with rival cartels, ultimately becoming one of the wealthiest individuals in the world by amassing a net worth of around $30billion by the time of his death. With his cocaine shipping career spanning nearly 20 years, Escobar embedded himself with Colombian politics and corruption. He remains today known for his ruthless criminal activities, yet also some of his charitable donations after investing large amounts of his illegal wealth into schools and housing developments.
Pablo Escobar surrendered in 1991, before being sentenced to only 5 years in prison, before escaping in 1992. He was eventually shot in 1993 while on the run from authorities after being in hiding for one year.
Escobar Inc:
Having made such a name for himself, and any family member following with the ‘Escobar’ name, the cartel founder’s brother, Roberto de Jesús Escobar Gaviria, has made no failure in keeping their famous surname in the public eye.
Roberto was also involved in his brother’s crimes, spending 12 years in prison for crimes committed while involved in the cartel, before going on to find the firm Escobar Inc in 1984. The company has sold ‘Escobar Cash’ cryptocurrencies, gold-plated smartphones, and ‘tactical toy’ flamethrowers. The latter caused the company to feature in worldwide news after ‘X’ owner, Elon Musk, made claims that the firm stole his designs for the $249-retailing flamethrowers. Roberto fought back saying ‘I want the people to be able to burn money, like me and Pablo used to do.’
In 2021, Roberto filed a trademark application for the name ‘Pablo Escobar’ to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). The application was refused, which ultimately landed Escobar Inc in a lengthy appeal process.
Refused application:
The European Court of Justice this past Wednesday ruled in favour of EUIPO’s refusal to register ‘Pablo Escobar’ as a trademark for Escobar Inc, after the court stated it would go against moral standards and accepted principles of morality.
In its first decision in February 2023, the EUIPO referenced a ruling refusing a restaurant called ‘La Mafia se sienta a la Mesa’ (‘The Mafia sits at the table’), as it could be perceived as immoral by the average citizen.
The EUIPO, in confirming the February decision, cited concerns about the ‘perception of the Spanish public’ towards the cartel founder, stating that people would associate the name with ‘narco-terrorism and with the crimes and suffering resulting therefrom.’
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