Brazilian Olympics Swimmer Wins Case Over Use of Same Name by Visa Venture

摘要

A Brazilian federal court judge ruled on Oct. 15 that Brazil's largest credit and debit card operator must change its name because it is the same as the last name of a famous Brazilian Olympic swimmer. The company, called Cielo, was given 180 days to stop using this name and eliminate the mark. Cielo was created in 1995 as a joint venture between Visa International and six Brazilian banks. It was originally called VisaNet but in July 2010 its name was changed to Cielo. This occurred 9 months after the then VisaNet signed a contract with swimmer Cesar Cielo giving the company the right to use Cielo's image in its advertising. At the time Cielo was a national hero, having become the first Brazilian swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal while competing in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.