São Paulo government sues Boulos for use of the ‘Poupatempo’ brand

The Government of São Paulo has taken legal action against the campaign of the candidate for Mayor of São Paulo, Guilherme Boulos (PSOL), for using the Poupatempo brand. The case was forwarded to the Public Treasury Court of the Central Court this Friday, the 5th.

Among Boulos’ main proposals is the creation of the “Health Savings Program”, which aims to implement a more efficient system for scheduling and carrying out medical appointments, with the aim of relieving the municipal health system. The idea is that the model follows the same line as the state service that facilitates the issuance of documents.

However, the Data Processing Company of the State of São Paulo (Prodesp), which holds eight registrations of the Poupatempo brand, claims not to have authorized the use of the name in Boulos’ campaign. The entity claims that unauthorized use could cause confusion among the public and be harmful to the public interest.

In the lawsuit, Prodesp is asking for the immediate suspension of the use of the brand “under penalty of incurring the applicable sanctions under civil law”. The lawsuit is asking for compensation of one thousand reais “exclusively for the purposes of jurisdiction” and that those responsible be notified.

In response, Boulos’ campaign called the action a “desperate attack by Ricardo Nunes’ allies.” The statement goes on to say that it is an attempt to divert attention from the “negligence of the current mayor with the health service in the city, where people spend months waiting for their turn to take a test and up to 10 hours in hospital queues to receive medical care.”