{"id":1947,"date":"2026-06-23T15:26:17","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T15:26:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topnews.mx\/index.php\/2026\/06\/23\/yucatecan-man-attempts-to-register-pato-merlin-trademark-sparking-controversy\/"},"modified":"2026-06-23T21:26:17","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T21:26:17","slug":"yucatecan-man-attempts-to-register-pato-merlin-trademark-sparking-controversy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topnews.mx\/index.php\/2026\/06\/23\/yucatecan-man-attempts-to-register-pato-merlin-trademark-sparking-controversy\/","title":{"rendered":"Yucatecan Man Attempts to Register \u201cPato Merl\u00edn\u201d Trademark, Sparking Controversy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Last week, David Sides Fuentes, a resident of M\u00e9rida, Yucat\u00e1n, filed a request with the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) to register the trademark and logo of \u201cEl Pato Merl\u00edn. El pato de la suerte\u201d for a 10-year period. The application, recorded under file number 3643308, was submitted on June 17, 2026.<\/p>\n<p>Sides Fuentes is not the original owner of the beloved \u201cPato Merl\u00edn,\u201d yet his trademark design features a duck wearing a green jersey adorned with an image of Quetzalcoatl\u2014reminiscent of the Mexican National Soccer Team\u2019s uniform\u2014and the Aztec Calendar in the background. The trademark aims to cover a wide range of uses, including advertising for political campaigns, business incubators, and management services for artists and athletes.<\/p>\n<p>The move has stirred strong reactions from the original owners of the duck, a hardworking family who have become viral sensations on social media for their dedication and daily efforts to make a living. Karla, the family\u2019s spokesperson, announced plans to register the duck as their own trademark to protect their rights.<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, June 22, 2026, during the morning press conference at Palacio Nacional, President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed the issue directly. She condemned the attempt to register the duck by someone outside the family as \u201can abuse\u201d and pledged government support to help the family secure the trademark through official channels.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not fair that someone else wanted to register the duck as a brand. Imagine, what an abuse!\u201d Sheinbaum said, emphasizing her administration\u2019s commitment to assist the family in improving their quality of life.<\/p>\n<p>This case highlights the complexities of intellectual property rights in Mexico, especially when it involves cultural symbols and community livelihoods. The government\u2019s active role in supporting the original owners reflects a broader commitment to social justice and protecting grassroots initiatives from exploitation. For migrants and diverse communities navigating Mexico\u2019s legal landscape, this story underscores the importance of accessible legal protections and state intervention to uphold fairness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last week, David Sides Fuentes, a resident of M\u00e9rida, Yucat\u00e1n, filed a request with the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) to register the trademark and logo of \u201cEl Pato Merl\u00edn. El pato de la suerte\u201d for a 10-year period. The application, recorded under file number 3643308, was submitted on June 17, 2026. Sides Fuentes [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1946,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1947","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nacional"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/topnews.mx\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1947","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/topnews.mx\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/topnews.mx\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/topnews.mx\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/topnews.mx\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1947"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/topnews.mx\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1947\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1948,"href":"https:\/\/topnews.mx\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1947\/revisions\/1948"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/topnews.mx\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1946"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/topnews.mx\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1947"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/topnews.mx\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1947"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/topnews.mx\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1947"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}