SWMBRD Sports Inc (CSE:SWIM) has announced that its 'SWMBRD' trademark and associated logo has been successfully registered by the European Union (EU) Intellectual Property Office.
The trademark has been registered in all seven of the NICE Classifications sought by the company.
The EU Intellectual Property Office covers all 27 member states of the European Union and a population of over 447,000,000 people.
In a statement, Justin Schroenn, president and CEO of SWMBRD Sports said: “We are very pleased that this key strategic trademark has been granted. The European Union is one of SWMBRD’s most important target markets. Not only is the spectacular Mediterranean Coastline from Spain to Greece one of the world’s premier tourism destinations, with the added market of a huge resident population, but SWMBRD’s versatility brings the lakes and rivers of Central and Northern Europe into orbit as well."
WATCH: SWMBRD Sports creating more than a brand, they're creating a lifestyle
He added: "Given that European cars and apartments tend to be compact, management believes that SWMBRD’s small size, lightness and ease of ownership, make it a perfect aquatic product for targeting the European consumer.
"Furthermore, we believe that having this trademark awarded in all seven categories applied for is a very important achievement for the Company and will serve as a strong foundation for marketing future potential SWMBRD products, accessories, events, media and lifestyle products.”
Schroenn concluded: "SWMBRD's expanding intellectual property portfolio continues to be a key strategic component of the company's plan for growth. We would like to thank Thomas Bailey and the team at Oyen Wiggs Green & Mutala LLP for their all their efforts in contributing to this very important achievement."
In early 2021, SWMBRD made an important strategic decision to change its name and associated products and brand from Zambezi Sports to SWMBRD Sports. The company's strategic vision is to develop its proprietary swimboard into both a revolutionary sport and a brand, with multiple potential avenues for growth, namely: apparel, accessories, sporting events, carry bags and luggage, storage racks and tote boxes, and fitness classes, among others. While Zambezi had been a very popular name, the name could not be trademarked in certain goods classifications desired by the company, it noted..
Effective trademarking on an international scale is a complex process, but vitally important in the competitive world of brands. Many months of detailed analysis, in conjunction with legal counsel Thomas Bailey and Oyen Wiggs Green and Mutala as well as its foreign associates, preceded the final selection of the name SWMBRD. Trademark applications were filed for both the SWMBRD name and logo in key strategic jurisdictions and seven Nice classifications between June 15, 2021, and December 20, 2021.
While SWMBRD does not divulge jurisdictions in which trademark applications are still pending, it is pleased to keep shareholders apprised of important jurisdictions in which applications have been successful, such as the European Union trademarks recently granted, rthe company said.
SWMBRD Sports is a sporting goods company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, that is looking to enable millions to rethink their way of recreating in the water. The company's management believes that SWMBRD's aquatic sports board, by virtue of its patented design, is revolutionary in how it empowers the human body in the water like nothing before, giving water lovers of all ages and abilities the freedom to explore all aquatic environments with ease.
By offering an aquatic sports board that is aimed to be versatile, easy to use, easy to store, and that can be used by all ages and body types in any body of water (rivers, oceans, lakes and pools), the company believes SWMBRD and the sport of swimboarding have the potential to become one of the most popular board sports in the world and SWMBRD has the potential to become a great aquatic brand.
The company has refined manufacturing techniques most relevant to the SWMBRD and has successfully produced demonstration versions of fully functioning boards, which have been in rigorous real-world use in Hawaii, Canada and Greece. The company is now preparing to commence large-scale mass production under an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) agreement with Tahe Sports of Vannes, France - a pre-eminent board sport manufacturer in Europe. It is SWMBRD's intention and hopes to have boards available for sale in December 2022.
Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com