Dispute over the hospital’s name

Dispute over the hospital’s name

Disputes over trademark rights are nothing new, nor do they generate as much emotion as they used to. We encounter more or less obvious instances of copying someone else's brand name and similar situations on a daily basis. However, recently, a rather unusual situation occurred in our country, as it involved the name of a hospital.

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"Children's Health Center" - only one

This concerns a new facility in Poznań, specifically the Greater Poland Children’s Health Center, which began operations in April 2022, with the first patient admitted on April 11. However, according to information from the media, the hospital will have to change its name in the near future. This is due to objections raised by the “Monument Children’s Health Center” Institute based in Warsaw.

Even before the hospital opened, information was reportedly coming from the marshal’s office that it would be best not to get attached to the name “Greater Poland Children’s Health Center,” as it would change soon. As it turned out, the “Monument Children’s Health Center” Institute, which runs one of the largest pediatric hospitals in Poland – the Children’s Health Center – filed a lawsuit in 2021 for infringement of its protective rights. It turned out that the designation “Children’s Health Center” was previously registered as a trademark and is being effectively used. This was the reason for the dispute with the creators of the new hospital in Poznań.

Agreement

Ultimately, the parties reached an agreement and settled the dispute. As a result, the Wielkopolskie Centrum Zdrowia Dziecka institution can operate under that name until the end of 2022; however, starting in 2023, at least two words, namely “zdrowia dziecka” (children’s health), must be removed from the official name. According to sources connected to the hospital in Wielkopolska, a new name is currently being sought, which will fully replace Wielkopolskie Centrum Zdrowia Dziecka from 2023.

The above situation shows that even in an area such as the name of a medical or hospital institution, disputes may arise regarding intellectual property rights. It should therefore be emphasized that, regardless of the nature of the business, all similar, registered trademarks should be thoroughly checked before starting the business.

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“Healthy Child” is only for one hospital.

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