A Costa Rican supermarket, "Súper Mario," has surprisingly won a trademark battle against Nintendo over the use of the name. The supermarket successfully argued that its name, a combination of "supermarket" and the manager's first name, Mario, wasn't intended to capitalize on Nintendo's iconic video game character.

The dispute began in 2024 when Nintendo challenged the supermarket's trademark renewal. The supermarket's owner's son, Charito, had registered the trademark in 2013. Nintendo argued trademark infringement, citing their globally recognized Super Mario brand.

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However, the supermarket's legal team, led by Jose Edgardo Jimenez Blanco, successfully countered Nintendo's claim. They convincingly demonstrated the name's straightforward connection to the store's type and the manager's name, proving it wasn't an attempt to profit from Nintendo's intellectual property.

Charito expressed immense gratitude to his legal advisor, Jimenez Blanco, stating, "I am really grateful to my accountant and legal advisor, Jose Edgardo Jimenez Blanco, who managed the registration and following trademark battle. We were considering giving up. How could we ever take on such a massive business entity? But Edgardo and I weren't going to back down, and we got some positive news a few days ago. 'Súper Mario' will never go away."

While Nintendo holds exclusive rights to the Super Mario trademark in many countries across various products, this case underscores the complexities of trademark disputes, particularly when large corporations face off against smaller businesses with legitimate claims. It serves as a reminder that even powerful brands can face legal challenges in protecting their intellectual property.