Trademarks registered by museums

  Trademarks are traditionally registered by companies to distinguish their products and services from those of their competitors. These companies then benefit from a monopoly on the registered name.. Museums respond to an opposite logic. Far from being monopolies, their primary mission is to show the public their collections. More often than not, museums fulfil a mission of general interest based on sharing. And yet, for several years now, we have been able to witness the coming together of these two universes. Museums have a more commercial relationship with their visitors: they increasingly sell derivative products. The development of museum brands, encouraged by the Court of Auditorss, illustrates this evolution.  

The appearance of the first museum brands

In France, the first museums to have registered trademarks are the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay. The Musée d'Orsay semi-figurative mark was filed in 1987, more than 30 years ago. As for the Louvre, there is a 1^er deposit dated 1973. At the time, these were protective deposits, aimed at avoiding the appropriation of the name by a third party. These trademarks thus covered a large number of classes and were not used for the majority of goods and services. It was in the 2000s that French museums became aware of the importance of registering trademarks. In search of new sources of funding, many cultural establishments developed ranges of derivative products (bags, cups, posters, etc.). In order to be able to put their name on these products, museums therefore began to register trademarks. For example, the Centre Pompidou brand registered in 2005 covers printing products, clothing and games. During the decade 2005-2015, a large number of museums, both national and regional, have registered their trademarks. Classes 16, 18, 25 and 28 are covered almost systematically. This shows the importance of derivative products for museums.  

Brands used to increase the visibility of museums

The great museums are vectors of French culture. Their branding strategy therefore pursues a dual objective: financial enhancement and international influence. Following the model of the Guggenheim Foundation, established in various cities (Bilbao, Venice, New York, Berlin...), French museums have begun to license their names to foreign cities and countries. By "renting" their brand, the museums obtain both substantial revenues and, above all, international recognition. The Louvre Abu Dhabi is an example of museum branding. The name "LOUVRE" is loaned for a period of 30 years, but the collections are only made available to the new museum for a period of 10 years (15 years for temporary exhibitions). It is therefore the brand that is at the heart of the licensing contract (in exchange for a remuneration of 400 million euros). The same applies to the "Louvre-Lens" and the "Centre Pompidou-Metz": trademark licences have been signed by the cultural establishments. But this time, free of charge, since it is above all a question of implementing a policy of cultural decentralisation. These museum brands thus enable museums to benefit from new sources of funding (whether through licensing agreements or the sale of derivative products). Above all, however, it is a question of protecting their identity and standing out in an increasingly competitive market. To learn more about trademark registration, please consult our guide.