Chilean startup "Star Wash" wins legal battle: secures its brand in INAPI and expands its presence
This milestone sets a significant precedent in the field of trademark registration for Chilean enterprises vis-à-vis large international companies. In addition, aside from announcing an opening in Rancagua, another of the companys plans for 2025 is to establish a franchise model.
The Chilean car-wash startup, Star Wash, achieved a significant milestone by securing their brand registration with the National Institute of Industrial Property (INAPI). This result comes despite the opposition claim filed by the renowned American company Lucasfilm Ltd, known for its iconic film franchise Star Wars.
This milestone not only marks the beginning of a new stage for entrepreneurship, but it also sets a significant precedent in the field of brand registration for Chilean ventures against large international companies.
"Currently, we are already the undisputed owner of the Star Wash brand to distinguish car wash services," explains Matías Jara de Barbieri, the founder of the national enterprise.
"This means that the company can continue to operate under that name without legal concerns regarding the use of the denomination," adds Jara De Barbieri, "which pleases us greatly, because in this way we can ensure the continuity of the business under the current name by which it is known."
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Brand Expansion: New Location in Rancagua.
Hand in hand with having the backing of the trademark registration, StarWash has now unlocked a series of plans - which they had previously thought of - with the aim of growing outside of La Reina. In this regard, they will open a new location in the second half of October, which will be located in the capital of the O'Higgins Region, Rancagua (Alameda 0120).
"We had in mind the possibility of opening this service in another part of the country. However, as we didn't know what was going to happen with the brand, we were waiting for the resolution of the trial. Now, with the resolution from INAPI, we move towards an expansion of our own brand. The objective is to be the most reliable automotive care network in the country," said its founder.
The Rancagua location has been designed with the same standards as the now headquarters in La Reina, with state-of-the-art technological equipment for detailed vehicle washing and cleaning. In fact, one of these machines operates with eco-friendly laser beams, at the same level as the services offered in the United States.
In this regard, the new Star Wash venue in Rancagua will offer users the opportunity to live stellar face-to-face experiences, with bounty hunters and strange intergalactic creatures as guests, during the development of the services.
The opening of the store is not everything, Star Wash's growth does not stop here. The company is evaluating the possibility of establishing a franchise model to expand its brand to other regions of the country, taking advantage of the operating model and brand, recognized and proven. "It is something we are looking into developing during 2025", added Jara de Barbieri.
The Legal Defense of StarWash that Managed to Defeat Star Wars.
The origin of the dispute dates back to the initial filing of a mixed trademark registration application by StarWash, which included not only the name, but also a distinctive logo.
This prompted Lucasfilm to file an opposition lawsuit, alleging a supposed risk of confusion with their own brand "Star Wars", arguing that the name of the Chilean venture could generate confusion with their iconic brand.
In response to this situation, from Armate Abogados, the legal representatives of the national enterprise developed a dual strategy. Parallel to the litigation over the mixed trademark, they submitted a second application, this time of the so-called pure denominative type, that is, without the logo, with the aim of only registering the name "Star Wash", which resulted in progress without objections from INAPI.
This decision marks a path and reference for potential struggles of Chilean ventures, facing large multinational companies, in the pursuit of adequately protecting their brands.