Ferrari is about to debut its first EV, the Luce (pronounced loo-chay, meaning “light” in Italian. However, as JNCers know, Luce has been the name of a beloved Mazda model introduced 60 years ago. Now, the two carmakers are locking horns over who has the rights to the name.
There’s a lot of buzz around the Ferrari Luce, not only because it’s the prancing horse’s first electric vehicle, but because it has a dashboard designed by Jony Ive, the former Apple chief of design who created the iPhone, iPod, and Apple Watch. Mazda is already fighting back due to the name but it’s unclear how the trademark battle will play out.
The Mazda Luce debuted in August 1966, a large sedan that served as the company’s second non-kei passenger model. Mazda chose the name — Italian for “light” as in radiance, not weight — due to the Luce’s tall greenhouse and thin pillars, which let a substantial amount of light into the cabin. The Italian name was also chosen as an homage to Giorgetto Giugiaro, the legendary designer who penned the first-generation Luce.
The Luce name graced a total of five generations. Sales for the privately owned Luce models ended in December 1991 with the introduction of the Sentia, but production for taxis and driving schools continued for another four years, until December 1995. Versions of the car were sold in export markets like the US as the Mazda RX-4 and Mazda 929.
Ferrari announced the Luce in February of this year. According to CarExpert, Mazda filed an application for Luce with the Japan Patent Office approximately three weeks later. Mazda did not disclose its reasoning, but the filing was believed to be a move to enforce its ownership against Ferrari, not because Mazda intended to release a new Luce.
One possible solution is that the Ferrari will be known as the Luce in the rest of the world, but change its name for the Japanese market. Even so, Ferrari seems unwilling to back down. In response, it issued a statement to CarExpert. “Ferrari holds the right to use the ‘Ferrari Luce’ trademark internationally, by virtue of its registration under international law,” it said. “As always, Ferrari carried out prior searches, which did not identify any active third-party rights in conflict with ours.”
According to Japanese law, a trademark can be cancelled if it has not been used for three consecutive years. However, the Japan Patent Office does not automatically cancel the trademark due to non-use. A third party must demand a cancellation trial, and if the owner can prove usage, ownership can continue. Without a trial, the trademark lasts 10 years.
It should be noted that when Mazda debuted its ethereal Vision Coupe Concept in 2017, it mentioned that the 1969 Luce Rotary Coupé was an inspiration for its design. Ultimately, it might come down a decision by intellectual property officials.
