Court in The Hague, The Netherlands says: 'No trademark rights for CrossFit'

Posted on 01-03-2020

In a lawsuit that was started in 2017 by CrossFit Inc. from Scotts Valley in California (USA) there was an interesting court ruling on 19 February 2020:

The name 'Cross Box' is not violating the trademark of CrossFit in the way it's used by a fitness club chain

The name 'Cross Box' is being used by a Dutch chain of fitness clubs for a CrossFit-like workout. The judge declared there was not enough proof that the brand name of CrossFit was hurt. He stated that based on the production of the chain's lawyer, the words 'Cross' and 'Fit' are quite regular words for the fitness industry. So the chain was granted to use the Cross Box name for its CrossFit-like activities! CrossFit loses the case and was convicted to pay the overall costs of the trial as well.

Click for a link to the Dutch news paper article (in Dutch)
Click for the link to the court ruling (in Dutch)

CrossFit in The Netherlands and worldwide

Globally there are about 15,200 clubs or boxes licensed to use the brand name CrossFit and its training concept (source: Maps.CrossFit.com). About 330 of them are located in The Netherlands, and Belgium, Europe.

What happens next to the CrossFit licensing system and trademark

Does this court ruling mean that CrossFit loses all its trademark rights? And how about the licensing rights? We are no lawyers or connoisseurs of private law, licensing or business law. So we can only assume. We assume that the trademark may lose a bit of its power when other competitors start using words like 'Cross', 'Fit', 'Box', in their own group fitness activities.

Will it hurt the CrossFit brand short term and/or long term? Time will tell.

Google's search trend for the words CrossFit, Fitness, Personal Trainer and Gym

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - 

 

 

Download the free 2020 edition of our Fitness Marketing Handbook

In this free handbook fitness marketing 2020, you'll discover our vision on how gyms, studios and clubs in the fitness industry in Canada, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and the like can thrive in the new decade. This is how to win the Fitness Marketing Battle 2020!

 

 

Author: Aernout Leezenberg

Author Aernout Leezenberg is the founder of Hidden Profits Marketing, a growing team of fitness marketing experts that supports owners and management of fitness studios, clubs and gyms to build a thriving business by providing an automated stream of new members and leads 24/7.

 

Share this item:

All Fitness Marketing Strategy

  • "Hidden Profits Marketing is the only company that delivered true lead to revenues"

    Benjamin Peker, Retro Fitness Brooklyn, New York

  • "December is usually a tough month but this time the member registrations just continue."

    Sanne Rooijmans, Crossfit 075 (the Netherlands)

  • "With the opening of Fitness35 in Galway, Hidden Profits Marketing generated way more leads than I've ever expected!"

    Joe Cosgrove, Fitness 35 in Galway (Ireland)

  • "For both my 30 EasyFit Premium clubs as well as most of our Milon Fitness Circuit clubs, this program delivers good numbers!"

    Raf Swerts, EasyFit Premium Clubs (chain Belgium)

  • "Month after month, a consistent number of leads!"

    Jason Westlake, Oxygen Yoga & Fitness in Chilliwack (Canada)

  • "In just 1.5 year time, my boutique fitness club is completely fully booked! Thank you Hidden Profits Marketing!"

    Erwin Korst, SX Sportsclub in Eindhoven (the Netherlands)

  • "My 2 Health clubs in London and in Horsham are generating more leads and clients then ever before! "

    Stuart Davis, My35 in Horsham & Life3 in London

  • "A true sustainable stream of leads, guaranteeing our month over month growth! All with your great care!"

    Klaus Heusel, Palestra Fitness in Eberbach (Germany)

  • "Amazing results! These guys just know how to generate hundreds and hundreds of leads on Facebook, Instagram, Google etc."

    Jesse-Bo Leenders, OosterGym in Amsterdam (the Netherlands)

  • "Stop the campaigns please! We are completely full!"

    Gert Bongers, GetFit35 Doetinchem (the Netherlands)

  • "We found an optimal process of generating and converting the leads "

    Daniel Buth, LifeCity Chain of Fitness Clubs (The Netherlands)

  • "I can be very clear: you guys at Hidden Profits Marketing can do with my studios marketing whatever you feel is right."

    Martin Kupfer, Fitnessstudio Zorneding in Zorneding (Germany)

  • "Both our sales appointment calendar and our studio are way fuller now!"

    Sebastian Ladner, Exercito Fitness Club, Wilhelmshaven (Germany)

  • "Within 21 days, we signed up 36 new long-term members for our Personal Training & Small Group Studio. All classes are ..."

    Roy Liefting, Liefting Fit Personal Training & Small Group (The Neth

  • "The best solution for club owners and managers, that do not have all this digital marketing knowledge and ..."

    Martijn van der Pijl, Slim Bezig Milon Micro Studio (The Netherlands

  • "We have been growing now for 55 months in a row! "

    Romano Morais, Healthy Fit Gym (The Netherlands)

  • "I tried some other marketing agencies, but returned here as a client. The number and the quality of the leads are great, so .."

    Frank Reijn, Aerofit in The Hague - Wassenaar (the Netherlands)

  • "Members-stop! A full studio within 9 months, partly thanks to Hidden Profits."

    Iris van Westering Stokkink, BodyTec Veenendaal (the Netherlands)
  • This is the biggest expense for gyms and health clubs

    This is the biggest expense for gyms and health clubs

    This year marks the 20th anniversary of Hidden Profts Marketing. That's why the articles in Body Life Magazine in 2024 will focus on ...

    Read more
  • Fitness trend: private gyms without staff

    Fitness trend: private gyms without staff

    Every year, new lists of fitness trends appear. There, every year you then see a small shift from, PT to functional training, from yoga t...

    Read more
Archive

To help you find the right information as good as we can, we use cookies on our website. This helps us (sometimes in cooperation with third parties) to monitor your internet behavior in order to increase the quality of your experience on our website. If you continue, we assume that you agree with this. View the cookie policy.