Nintendo Loses Trademark Battle Against Costa Rican “Super” Market

Nintendo finds itself on the losing end of a recent trademark dispute with a family-owned supermarket in Costa Rica. The “Super Mario” market in San Ramón, despite sharing a name with the famous video game character, has been in operation for years.

When Mario’s son attempted to renew the supermarket’s trademark last year, Nintendo intervened. The father and son were initially overwhelmed by the legal battle against the gaming giant but ultimately prevailed.

“I would like to greatly thank my legal and accounting advisor José Edgardo Jiménez Blanco who was in charge of the registration and the subsequent fight for the trademark rights. For a moment we thought about throwing in the towel. How were we going to win against such a commercial monster? Especially with the number of legal documents presented by them to ensure victory.Well, luckily Edgardo and I stood firm and a few days ago we received the good news.”

Costa Rica’s trademark authority ruled in favor of the local supermarket, noting that Nintendo’s trademark for ‘Super Mario’ does not cover supermarkets or the sale of groceries. This decision allowed the family-owned business to retain its name.

The sign here reads “support local businesses” – held up by Mario’s son, Charlito — Image: via Facebook

Despite the legal victory, the supermarket’s logo bears no resemblance to the iconic video game character. The motto “Super Mario – Su lugar de confianza” translates to “Super Mario – your trusted place” and customers can receive a free sticker with the supermarket’s logo.

“This is a giant step towards our vision and the reason a company this big is getting picky is because we are making ourselves noticed. SUPER MARIO is here to stay.”

While Nintendo may have lost this legal battle, it serves as a reminder to other companies that even small businesses can overcome challenges from industry giants.