Disney’s Star Plus service for Latin America lends in legal trouble over its name

According to fresh sources, the company behind Marvel Cinematic Universe, Disney, will be launching its standalone Star+ streaming service in Latin America in August. However, Starz has filed complaints in Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina and has alleged that the studio is trying to infringe on its brand identity and that the service will be confusing to the customers.

In the complaint, Starz argues that Disney’s “Star Plus” service, set to host content from Disney, FX, 20th Century Studios, and National Geographic, along with Star originals, is phonetically similar to its StarzPlay, which is available in the regions where it filed its complaints.

For those who don’t know, Starz is a premium cable offering and streaming app. It has been operating under the name since the mid-1990s and now has a presence in 58 countries. The company has its own, StarzPlay service in Latin America since 2019. However, Disney’s Star Plus as a single service offering will be launched in Latin America on August 31st.

“Both companies are currently direct competitors in the Mexican market, which causes an unfair competition to materialize, especially if it is considered that we are talking about the same services.”

A spokesperson of Starz said the company “had no choice but to defend its rights and attempt to forestall any further customer confusion by filing trademark infringement suits” in Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina against Disney.

During the initial announcement of the Star Plus service in Latin America, Diego Lerner, president of The Walt Disney Company Latin America, said in a statement that, “The strength of the content, that will include all of ESPN, makes Star+ a unique and relevant offering with its own identity that will become a recognized digital service, independent from Disney Plus,” Lerner said. “Having said that, its arrival will represent a service that is complementary to Disney Plus and it will consolidate The Walt Disney Company’s presence in Latin America’s streaming market.”

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