Rejection of Opposition to trademark application “ZIMA CLUB”

On January 20, 2026, the Intellectual Property Office (IP Vietnam) received Opposition Notice No. PĐ4-202600057 against the grant of a Title of Protection for Trademark Application No. 4-2025-24084 regarding the mark "ZIMA CLUB" (filing date: May 28, 2025). The Opponent asserted that the applied-for mark is confusingly similar to the prior cited mark "ZUMA" pursuant to Article 74.2.h of the Intellectual Property Law.

Upon comprehensive review of the trademark application dossier, the opposition arguments, all relevant evidence, and the results of the information search, IP Vietnam finds that the applied-for mark possesses distinctiveness and is not confusingly similar to the cited mark on the following specific grounds:

- Phonetic aspect: The applied-for mark "ZIMA CLUB" consists of three syllables ("ZI-MA-CLUB"), which are pronounced completely differently from the cited mark "ZUMA", which consists of only two syllables ("ZU-MA");

- Structural and visual aspect: The primary verbal element of the applied-for mark is "ZIMA", which is clearly distinguishable from the cited mark "ZUMA" due to the use of the vowel "I" instead of "U". This typographical variance creates an entirely different graphical structure and visual impression;

- Overall impression: The combination of the verbal sign "ZIMA" and the auxiliary element "CLUB" (which is disclaimed from protection on a standalone basis) forms a unified whole, enabling the general public of consumers to readily recognize and distinguish it from the cited mark./.

In light of the foregoing, the IPO concludes that the Opponent’s opposition lacks a legal basis. IP Vietnam hereby notifies the relevant parties of the resolution outcome of the opposition, and shall proceed with the substantive examination of Trademark Application "ZIMA CLUB" in accordance with Article 114 of the IP Law./.