The family of recaptured cartel kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán tried to trademark his name for the purposes of producing merchandise including clothing, watches, walking canes and even Christmas tree ornaments according to applications lodged with the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI).
His lawyers also tried to trademark his name as part of a plan for making a motion picture on his larger-then-life story – a vanity project that eventually led to his downfall, Mexican media reported on Tuesday.
Guzmán’s lawyers filed papers with IMPI to register the name El Chapo Guzmán in preparation for making a biopic, journalist Carlos Loret de Mola wrote in the Mexican newspaper El Universal. IMPI rejected the request.
Previously, Alejandrina Gisselle Guzmán, believed to be Guzmán’s daughter, filed requests with IMPI in 2010 and 2011 to trademark the names “Joaquin El Chapo Guzmán” and “El Chapo Guzmán”.
A series of 12 requests were made to register the names, which would be applied to items like hats, toys, sporting goods, saddlery and whips. It also asked for trademarks in services such as publicity and “commercial administration”.
IMPI rejected all of the trademark requests on the grounds that Guzmán, who in 2001 had escaped Puente Grande prison – supposedly hidden in a laundry cart – was a wanted fugitive.
The applicant’s legal representative, José Antonio Magaña Jiménez, shot back in an appeal letter: “The name Joaquín does not belong to any narcotics trafficker wanted by the authorities, since the name of this person is only ARCHIVALDO GUZMÁN LOERA.” He added that “The name GUZMÁN is a common surname in Mexico” and the trademark wasn’t trying to “apologize for crime”.
The Guzmáns would not be the first family to attempt to monetize a drug baron’s notorious name. In 2012, Pablo Escobar’s son launched a line of clothing in 2012 using his father’s image, although the Colombian government rejected an attempt by the kingpin’s family to trademark his full name.
Guzmán was arrested Friday in the tomato-growing town of Los Mochis in his home state of Sinaloa. According to Mexican authorities El Chapo’s downfall was partly triggered by his desire to have a feature film made about his life.
Local media reported that security forces started tracking actress Kate del Castillo – who Guzmán had approached over the project – in 2014.
They later monitored Del Castillo in early October when she and Sean Penn arrived in Guadalajara on their way to a meeting with Guzmán, which Penn later wrote about for Rolling Stone.
