2019 parliamentary elections, and the ZUS logo

2019 parliamentary elections, and the ZUS logo

The Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) evokes mixed feelings in Poland, but few people associate this institution with the protection of intellectual property. However, as it turned out, ZUS also made a name for itself in this area in the context of the recent parliamentary elections. Before the elections, one of the politicians from the Civic Coalition, Michał Stasiński, held a press conference in which he compared the programs of the Civic Coalition and the Law and Justice party from the perspective of entrepreneurs. The event itself would not have caused any controversy or discussion if it were not for the fact that in the background, on the politician's banner, there was a slogan "Stop ZUS Contribution Increases," which also featured the green ZUS logo.

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Using the ZUS trademark in an election campaign.

As the politician later informed, he received a letter from the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) demanding that he cease using the ZUS graphic trademark, which is protected by law and registered with the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland. Additionally, ZUS sent a similar letter not only to the office of Michał Stasiński, but also to the Coalition Electoral Committee based in Warsaw. The letter also included a request to immediately, but no later than within 3 days from the date of delivery of the letter, cease infringing the legal protection of the ZUS graphic trademark by removing the logo from election materials, including banners and posters. In the event of further infringement, the institution reserved the right to seek compensation for the resulting damages.

ZUS – demands compensation for damages.

In response to the request, the MP removed the banner containing the disputed trademark, but he did not fail to criticize the Polish insurance institution. In a way, in response, Michał Stasiński pointed out that he had downloaded the trademark in good faith from the popular Wikipedia, and moreover, he used it for social purposes, not as part of a commercial campaign, which is why the outrage and demands of the ZUS are unjustified.

The politician considered the matter to be absurd and stated that if the ZUS does not agree to further use of the trademark, he will simply cover part of the letter S and continue to use the logo on his banner. It will be interesting to see how the ZUS reacts in such a situation

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Nothing that belongs to ZUS is yours.

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