Barcelona. Real Madrid. Atletico Madrid. These are the usual opponents of Valencia CF. Currently third in La Liga, the Valencian club has now gained an imposing new foe - Batman. Or rather, DC Comics.
Spanish news site Plaza Deportiva is reporting that the comic giant has taken issue with the football club's new badge design, seen below.
In submitting the new design to the (insanely titled) Office for Harmonization of the Internal Market (Trademarks and Designs), Valencia has unintentionally fired a shot across the bows of the comic publisher with a bat logo uncannily similar to DC's Dark Knight.
Valencia's existing bat logo, with drooping wings that forms the crest of Valencia's badge, has been in use since the club's formation in 1919. The new logo, with wings raised, has ruffled the fur of DC for apparently drawing on their own bat logo - with raised wings - first used in 1940.
We imagine the lawyers for DC are going to need some superhero powers of their own to put a stop to the new logo: the football club has always incorporated the city's heraldic icon, first used by Peter IV of Aragon in 1319 in reference to the legend of King James I of Aragon, who was apparently helped by a bat to defeat an army of Saracens in the region of Valencia (but it could have been a swallow).
Given the historical precedent of Valencia's bat-logos, DC may find themselves on the end of a legal KAPOW! should they push forward with the case.
[Via: Plaza Deportiva]
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