DIGI loses exclusive registration of its logo in the EU for being an “abbreviation for digital” and having too simple a design
DIGI has not managed to exclusively register its well-known blue logo before the Intellectual Property Office of the European Union, a setback that leaves one of the signs with which it identifies itself in the community market without complete legal protection. The decision does not prevent the operator from continuing to use that image, but it does complicate its ability to claim exclusive use if another company uses a similar identity in the field of telecommunications.
The key to the case is in the procedure. According to the EUIPO resolution, the appeal presented by the Romanian company was delivered after the deadline, since neither the corresponding fee nor the document arrived within the limit set by the body. Considering not presented, the previous denial becomes final and nullifies DIGI’s last attempt to reverse the rejection.
The process had started in August 2024when the parent company requested to register the logo with blue letters at the European level. More than a year later, in September 2025the community office issued a partial denial. That meant that the brand could be accepted for some products, but not for telecommunications services, precisely the core of the operator’s business in markets such as Spain, Romania, Portugal, Italy and Belgium.
The EUIPO considers that “DIGI” is descriptive and not very distinctive
The EUIPO maintains that the term “DIGI” will be understood by a significant part of the EU public, especially English speakers, as a direct abbreviation of “digital”. From this interpretation, the sign does not function as a brand with its own personality, but rather as a descriptive reference to the company’s services, something that reduces its ability to differentiate a company from its competitors.
Added to this is the assessment of the design itself. For the examiners, the typography used by DIGI and the blue color of the logo do not provide enough unique elements to generate an immediate memory in the consumer. The office understands that neither the style of the letters nor the visual finish introduce a component distinctive that allows us to overcome that original weakness.
The result is relevant in terms of intellectual property, although it does not have an immediate effect on the operator’s commercial activity. DIGI will be able to maintain its current corporate image and continue operating normally, but it loses an important legal tool to act forcefully if another company tries to appropriate a similar identity. As a curious fact, the source reveals that, since the appeal has not been admitted due to a formal issue, the company will recover the 720 euros subscribers upon presentation.
A new legal front for an increasingly exposed telecom company
The news fits at a time in which the sector is increasingly aware of the regulatory and judicial front. In recent months, for example, we have seen how LaLiga and Telefónica will be able to continue blocking websites and services unrelated to piracy, an example of to what extent courts and regulatory bodies are conditioning the framework of action of telecos.
The company has also been present in other conflicts with a direct impact on the end user, such as when a resolution forced Vodafone and DIGI to allow the use of their own router on fiber. This is another setback for the company, but now in the area of intellectual property rights. In fact, any company could now use the DIGI logo without legal consequences.
