The engineering companies of the Škoda Group, whose majority owner is PPF, have sold the Škoda Auto carmaker rights to the Škoda brand. They thus agreed to end disputes over the use of the winged arrow sign.
“The Škoda Group can use the Škoda name and the winged arrow emblem until 2029,” PPF announced. It is not yet certain what the Pilsen races will be called after this date and what the logo will adorn them with.
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The agreement puts an end to trademark disputes concerning the simultaneous use of the Škoda brand and will make it possible to eliminate the problem of frequent confusion between the brands of the Pilsen engineering company and the Mladá Boleslav car manufacturer.
After all, last year’s survey by Ipsos for the Škoda Group showed that the public today most often associates the Škoda brand with car production (93 percent), while only a quarter of Czechs know Škoda Transportation in Pilsen.
“We remain the proud bearers of Emil Škoda’s legacy, which laid the foundations for the development of industry in Pilsen and throughout the Czech Republic. However, the time has come to respect reality and resolve disagreements regarding the scope of rights, where completely different products operate on the market under the same brand, “said Stanislav Kuba, Investment Manager of the PPF Group’s Industrial Division and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Škoda Transportation.
According to PPF, the change will not have any effect on existing, negotiated or future contracts of the Škoda Group in Pilsen, including Škoda Transportation.
Neither party specified the conditions under which the agreement was reached. However, PPF stated that the money raised will primarily contribute to reducing the debt of the Škoda Group and to the further development of its business.
Škoda had the logo with a winged arrow registered as a trademark in December 1923, and in 1937 it added the text Škoda. The Mladá Boleslav carmaker has been using the Škoda brand since 1925.
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