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Olympic silver medalist Brazilian Rayssa Leal’s nickname trademarked without her knowledge

By  PINKY S. ICAMEN
Published Jul 29, 2021 6:04 pm

The 13-year-old skateboarding phenom, who won silver at the women’s street skateboarding competition, is Brazil’s youngest Olympic medalist.

Even before Rayssa Leal took the Olympics by storm with her podium finish in the women’s skateboarding competition, she had already captured the hearts of fans worldwide with a viral video of her skateboarding in a fairy costume when she was only seven years old.

The video exploded online as no less than skateboarding legend Tony Hawk tweeted it and coined the term “fairytale heelflip” for Leal’s trick.

Leal, who was dressed in the viral video in a Tinker Bell costume sewn by her grandmother for a school play, was later on nicknamed “Fadinha,” which is Portuguese for “Little Fairy.”

After her successful stint at the Olympics, where she shared light moments with the Philippines’ Margielyn Didal, Leal went back home to Sao Paolo and was welcomed by the media and well-wishers at the airport.

Leal was also greeted by the news that a lawyer, whom she never met before, had trademarked her nickname “Fadinha” on her behalf to protect the skateboarder’s rights and prevent unscrupulous businesses from taking advantage of her.

Lawyer Flavia Penido, who has expertise in intellectual property, technology and applied marketing law, tweeted on Monday, July 26, “The interest is obviously not financial but to preserve Rayssa’s rights and also show the importance of marketing and law work in tandem.”

Penido also said in a series of tweets that she knows how long and costly disputes over trademarks can be so she immediately took the liberty of applying for registration of the trademark at Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property (Inpi) right after watching Leal win the silver medal at the competition.

Penido also said she signed a declaration stating that she will give away the rights that she might have to Leal or her parents free of charge.  

The lawyer reportedly received approval from Leal’s father on Tuesday, July 29, to go ahead with the process.

Last year, it was reported that a dentistry company created three registrations for the Fadinha do Skate brand without the consent of Leal and her parents, who are now trying to annul the procedures at the Inpi.

Banner and thumbnail photos from AFP/Lionel Bonaventure and Tokyo Olympics 2020

TAGS: BRAZIL tokyo olympics Rayssa Leal Women's Street Skateboarding

About the author

PINKY S. ICAMEN

Writer

Pinky is a writer who is game to take a flight to nowhere. She surrenders to the allure of unhurried coffee house culture and is still in search for the best mojito.