La SalvadoReina, cumbia artist and fashion merchandiser, had been dreading this day. She knew it was coming and that it was only a matter of time before “La SalvadoReina” received an attempt at being hijacked by a larger company. So many had warned her that it wasn’t a matter of “if” but a matter of “when” and her time arrived today around noon.
She received a message from a friend regarding a post on Fierce by mitú’s Instagram account and her heart sank and tears welled up in her eyes. Fierce by mitú had begun selling t-shirts with her name on the front.
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“Everyone told me when I started my business, ‘hey you need to protect your name’…All of these small business owners that are Salvadoran and people that are older than me giving me consejo, giving me advice,” said La SalvadoReina, “People were telling me that this happens a lot. Once it happens to you, it hits you even harder. I believed them but now it’s like ‘okay this is still happening.’”
La SalvadoReina was officially established in 2014 but the name was used by her well before then. In 2008, Cindy Zavala, otherwise known as La SavaldoReina, won a small pageant that allowed her to support schools in El Salvador by providing supplies, backpacks, and computers. Her pueblo and family members were calling her “reina” and her tio also called her a “salvadoreña.” Cindy decided to combine both nicknames. As Cindy established her music career she decided to use La SalvadoReina as her stage name to represent the Salvadoran community that is often underrepresented in the industry.
She also began managing the SalvadoReina clothing brand that uses the name “SalvadoReina” on various merchandise. The clothing brand is managed out of her home with the support of her family and boyfriend. They often help her fold and pack shirts working to fulfill the orders coming in to the small business. While the brand has captivated a wide social media audience, the business operations remain humble.
When she received the message today that Fierce by mitú was using her name, she was leaving her home to go to the post office to fulfill orders for recent customers. Upon seeing the message, La SalvadoReina felt “devastated.”
Given the advice she had received from other small business owners, La SalvadoReina had spent a lot of time building her brand and working on a trademark. Beyond the diverted business and potential profit from Fierce by mitu , what truly impacted La SalvadoReina was the use of her name without her consent. “That’s what hurt the most – it’s not that they attacked my business, it’s that they attacked my identity…who I am. Being a SalvadoReina is what makes me feel more in my skin and myself. I feel most alive when I take on my artist name,” said La SalvadoReina.
After receiving the message, La SalvadoReina sprung to action and asked support from her community. She wasn’t sure what to expect but her community showed up and began commenting on her behalf on the Instagram post. Many were also responding to Instagram commenters who were not sure how to buy the t-shirt and rerouting them back to La SalvadoReina’s social media profiles.
While this could all be chalked up to Fierce by mitú simply not knowing about the original La SalvadoReina or not doing their research, La SalvadoReina pointed out on social media that the outlet had actually interviewed her and previously published an article about her.
The social media post is currently still up and La SalvadoReina is still waiting to see how Fierce by mitú will respond. In the meantime, La SalvadoReina wants to continue spreading awareness to small businesses about the importance of a trademark so they don’t fall victim to a similar situation.
View more information regarding the trademarking process here.