Mexico Recognizes the Gómez Family as Owners of the Viral 'World Cup Duck' Brand
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
Mexico City, June 24 (EFE) - Vidal Llerenas, director of the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI), confirmed on Wednesday that the brand of the bird Merlín, known as the 'World Cup Duck', belongs to the family of Carla Ivette Gómez, after the owner claimed her rights due to the 'abuse' by companies that 'profited' from the image of the unofficial World Cup mascot. Llerenas stated in a post on his official X account that 'it is a public and notorious fact' that, as of June 24, Merlín 'is a mascot' of the Gómez family 'to whom the brand belongs.' The registration announcement was also shared on the social media accounts of IMPI and Mexico's Ministry of Economy, led by Marcelo Ebrard. 'I need to register it now because there is a lot of abuse (by companies), and I repeat, they are taking advantage of a humble family,' Gómez said in an interview with EFE on June 20. The owner visited IMPI last Monday to register the bird, which had already received four trademark registration requests from outside the Gómez family since June 17. On the IMPI site, these trademark registration requests remain available under the names 'El pato Merlín' or 'El pato de la suerte', with the former belonging to a woman residing in Zapopan, Jalisco, and a representative living in Mexico City. Meanwhile, 'El pato de la suerte' was submitted by a man from Yucatán, who also declared himself the owner and representative of the brand, attaching an image created with Artificial Intelligence (AI). The viral phenomenon of Merlín began on June 11 in the historic center of Mexico City when Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0 in the World Cup's opening match. That day, the Gómez family went out to sell sodas and waters accompanied by the bird, which wore the Mexican national team's jersey, sparking euphoria among World Cup fans who shared videos and photos of the animal. This led various brands, from betting houses to airlines, to use the image of the World Cup duck without the family's permission. 'At what point did they ask us for permission?' Gómez questioned. The fame of the so-called 'magic duck', named after a legendary wizard, reached FIFA, which named it an ambassador for the World Cup in Mexico City, and even reached the doors of the National Palace during a meeting with Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
