And finally… omertà

The Italian government first objected in 2005 to the use of the trademark by La Mafia Se Sienta a la Mesa, a restaurant chain in Spain, and owners La Mafia Franchises appealed to the EU courts.

The chain consists of 40 Italian-style restaurants with branding reminiscent of posters for the classic film The Godfather.

Rejecting the restaurant chain’s appeal, the General Court of the European Union ruled that granting the trademark was “contrary to public policy” as it “refers to a criminal organization, conveys a globally positive image of that organization and trivializes the serious harm done by that organization to the fundamental values of the EU”.

It added: “Moreover, given their cross-border dimension, the mafia’s criminal activities are a serious threat to security throughout the EU.”