In recent days, public opinion has n focused on the topic of clothing with the “NOWROCKY” logo, which President Karol Nawrocki has n seen wearing publicly. This has sparked a wave of comments about who owns the brand, who profits from it, and whether the president should be promoting a private business. This is understandable – the coincidence of names is not accidental. Nina Nawrocka, sister of Karol Nawrocki, filed the application with the Patent Office, which suggests a family-run enterprise. We are therefore dealing with a classic example of building a brand based on name recognition, which, combined with the president’s public function, naturally raises questions about ethics, the promotion of private business, and transparency. The media are rightly investigating the matter, as the intersection of politics and business always evokes emotions. However, in their pursuit of the sensational story of “who profits from this,” the editorial teams have stumbled over basic legal realities. Most news portals, in an attempt to shed light on the business background of the case, have ignored the fundamental distinction between filing a trademark application and its effective registration. The narrative about a “reserved brand” or a “patent on a name” precedes the facts and misleads the public. In order to assess the situation properly, it is necessary to separate the political and business aspects from the concrete procedures in matters of intellectual property. Let’s examine what actually emerges from the database of the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland (UPRP).
Looking at the official register, we can see that the word and graphic mark “NOWROCKY” was filed for protection on November 5, 2025. The applicant is an individual – Nina Nawrocka from Gdańsk. The mark covers a wide range of goods and services, from clothing (class 25) and sports equipment (class 28), through food (class 30), to gym services (class 41).
The most important information, which many journalists overlooked, is the status of the case. The documentation clearly states: “Opposition period.” The end of this period is set for March 23, 2026. What does this mean in practice? That the mark is not yet registered, meaning it has not yet obtained protection. The Patent Office of Poland has only accepted the application and published it in the Patent Office Gazette. Now is the time when third parties can file an opposition if they believe that this mark infringes their rights. Only if no opposition is filed (or it is rejected) and the applicant pays the appropriate official fees, will the mark receive full protection. Until that moment, the NOWROCKY brand is in a kind of legal “waiting room” and does not have full legal protection.
Unfortunately, in the pursuit of sensationalism, legal accuracy has taken a back seat. For example, RMF FM, in its report, suggests a fait accompli, writing about the secrets of the brand and implying that we are dealing with a fully established legal entity in every sense of the word (“the ‘Nowrocky’ trademark has n officially registered”). Suggesting in the article that there is already a legal monopoly on the “Nowrocky” brand is an abuse, because at the application stage, such a monopoly does not yet exist. The application is only a request for protection, not its acquisition. Link to the article: RMF24 – Tajemnice marki Nowrocky Other major news outlets, such as Onet and Wirtualna Polska, also approached the topic in a rather imprecise manner, focusing on the promotional aspect and omitting the fact that, from a legal point of view, the “brand” is in the embryonic phase of the procedure before the Office. Link to the article: Onet – Kto zarabia na prezydenckich ubraniach? Link to the article: WP – Prezydent z logiem Nowrocky Against this background, Gazeta Wyborcza (trojmiasto.wyborcza.pl) stands out positively, to the extent that it can be considered positive that its report lacked categorical statements inconsistent with the facts about the “registered trademark”. The editorial staff focused on ownership and affiliations, avoiding the blunder that its competitors made. Link to the article: Wyborcza – Kto zarabia na marce Nowrocky
Kanał Zero went even further in its creative use of terminology. In a video (approx. 3:56), the phrase “patent protection” is used in the context of trademark classification. Link to the video: Kanał Zero – Analysis of the President’s Outfit
At this point, it is necessary to strongly object and dispel any doubts on this matter. Let’s clarify this once and for all:
It is not possible to “patent” a name. It can only be registered as a trademark and obtain protective rights in this regard. Talking about patents in the context of a clothing brand is a mistake, comparable to calling a passenger car an airplane just because both are used for transportation. Moreover, in minute 3:40 of the Kanał Zero video, a screenshot from the UPRP database is shown, without paying attention to the key field “Status: Opposition Period.”
Similar simplifications are repeated by other media outlets, such as TVP Info and Fakt, which, although they quote statements from the company, do not verify them against the publicly available UPRP register in terms of legal status. Link to the article: TVP Info – Controversies Surrounding the Outfit Link to the article: Fakt – Questions About Nawrocky’s Clothes
In an era of widespread access to information, verifying the status of any trademark takes only a few minutes. The Patent Office database is public and accessible online to everyone. Simply enter the name in the search engine to receive all the necessary information. It is all the more surprising that the largest media outlets in Poland repeat mistakes that can be eliminated with a few clicks.
Reliable journalism should be based on verifying sources, not on repeating thought shortcuts. When the media writes about a “registered trademark,” and the official register shows the status “Opposition Period,” we are dealing with a blatant failure to fulfill the obligation to verify facts.
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