In a well-founded decision notified to the parties on 10 July 2020, the State Court of Rio de Janeiro has dismissed in its entirety the claims brought against FIFA by Spuni Comercio de Produtos Esportivos e Marketing LTDA (“Spuni”) in relation to the use of free-kick vanishing spray.
In its decision, the court concluded that Spuni did not present conclusive evidence of patent infringement and that the idea of creating a free-kick spray did not entitle Spuni to prevent other companies from creating such sprays with a different chemical composition, since alternative products would naturally emerge on the market as the use of free-kick sprays became more commonplace. FIFA Chief Legal & Compliance Officer Emilio Garcia Silvero commented: “FIFA greatly welcomes this decision by the court, which rejects Spuni’s unfounded lawsuit and demonstrates the inaccuracy of the recent statements by Spuni that attempted to mislead the public in this matter. Once again, this decision shows that FIFA has always acted within the law and in good faith in relation to this tenuous legal dispute.”
Source: FIFA
