{"id":897,"date":"2026-09-21T18:34:23","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T18:34:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/be-ip.mx\/?p=897"},"modified":"2026-09-21T18:35:19","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T18:35:19","slug":"artist-brand-protection-harry-styles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/be-ip.mx\/en\/proteccion-marca-artista-harry-styles\/","title":{"rendered":"How is an artist's brand protected? What Harry Styles' residency in Mexico City reminds us about intellectual property."},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"897\" class=\"elementor elementor-897\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-691c2940 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"691c2940\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-79cdd049 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"79cdd049\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-no-translation=\"\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<style>.elementor-element-79cdd049{display:none !important}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3a1911f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3a1911f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-no-translation=\"\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Between July 31 and August 10, 2026, Harry Styles turned Mexico City into one of the main stops of his &#8220;Together, Together&#8221; tour. From public performance, registered trademarks, and image rights to a parallel anti-piracy operation, the British performer of global hits like &#8220;As It Was&#8221; and &#8220;Watermelon Sugar&#8221; passing through the Mexican capital \u2014in a residency that sold out six dates at the Estadio GNP Seguros and generated an economic impact of more than 2.094 billion pesos\u2014 gives us a valuable opportunity to examine how intellectual property operates behind one of the world&#8217;s most far-reaching musical and commercial phenomena, and how intangible rights can become a fundamental piece of any industry and business.<\/p><h2>Behind the setlist: who holds the rights to a song performed live?<\/h2><p>When the lights go down and the first song begins to play, it&#8217;s not just the concert that starts: an entire system of rights over the music reaching the audience also comes into play.<\/p><p><a id=\"8cIt75pCScpuF7t3RdjLtw\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/2264086719\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'8cIt75pCScpuF7t3RdjLtw',sig:'ZCYWtBuB9mjn5jrRGB9fwR3lOWvirV10H2ZGhuOKduk=',w:'594px',h:'422px',items:'2264086719',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p><p>In Mexico, every time an artist performs a song live \u2014even if it&#8217;s from their own catalog\u2014 the Federal Copyright Law (Ley Federal del Derecho de Autor, LFDA) is triggered. Article 26 bis grants authors and composers the inalienable right to receive royalties for the public communication or broadcast of their works, while article 117 bis extends that same logic to performers. This means that performing a song in front of thousands of people can involve different rights holders: those who wrote or composed the work, the artists who sing it and, when protected phonograms or recordings are used, the corresponding related rights.<\/p><p>Likewise, a musical work is protected by the mere fact of having been created, without any formality. However, the LFDA provides that these works may be voluntarily recorded in the Public Registry of Copyright, administered by INDAUTOR itself. That registration does not grant the right, which already exists from the moment the work is created, but it does provide greater legal certainty: it creates a legal presumption of who the holder is and makes it easier to prove authorship before third parties, collective management societies, or in a potential legal dispute.<\/p><p>For this reason, organizations such as the Society of Authors and Composers of Mexico (SACM), the National Association of Performers (ANDI), and the Mexican Society of Producers of Phonograms, Videograms, and Multimedia (SOMEXFON) take part in different areas of music rights management, collecting, among other things, a percentage of the event&#8217;s box office to distribute among the authors of the pieces performed, under rates authorized and published by INDAUTOR. In other words, it&#8217;s not about charging several times for the same right, but about recognizing that behind a song lies an entire strategy of legal protection and several rights holders whose rights must be considered an integral part of the production before the music reaches the stage.<\/p><h2>When does unofficial merchandise become an infringement?<\/h2><p><a id=\"N2t1qAM0TlhUV-YgCdrA4A\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/2276604213\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'N2t1qAM0TlhUV-YgCdrA4A',sig:'RnbfiaO3kjuHUjYUSWb4-wZlZCNwvepO1duIa1eCasc=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'2276604213',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><br \/>Meanwhile, during &#8220;the biggest pop party of the summer,&#8221; coverage documented the setup of an official pop-up store in the Ju\u00e1rez neighborhood and, in parallel, an unofficial mega-bazaar near the Santa Anita Metro station with more than 15,000 different products referencing the artist, along with stations to customize merchandise. Informal vendors were also present around the venue formerly known as &#8220;Foro Sol,&#8221; where dozens of unofficial items were reported: from t-shirts, caps, hoodies, and ties to all kinds of <em>freebies<\/em> and merchandise incorporating his name, image, and other elements associated with the identity of the former One Direction member.<\/p><p>This contrast \u2014licensed merchandise versus counterfeit merchandise\u2014 is not unique to this tour: it&#8217;s the same pattern the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) has been fighting intensively in Mexico throughout 2026, especially around the FIFA World Cup.<\/p><p>In Harry Styles&#8217; case, this takes on particular relevance. The commercial value built around the artist doesn&#8217;t rest solely on his music, but also on the set of distinctive signs that make up and enable the commercial exploitation of his artistic identity. His name, the denominations associated with his projects, and other elements of his commercial universe are part of an international intellectual property protection strategy that also reaches Mexico, where roughly ten active trademark registrations linked to the artist exist, intended to distinguish various goods and services across different classes related to merchandise, music, audiovisual content, live shows, and entertainment.<\/p><p>This protection helps explain why a t-shirt, a cap, or any other item can involve assets of considerable economic value. Merchandising is not merely a product that complements the show: it represents a commercial extension of the artist&#8217;s identity and, when it incorporates protected signs, its exploitation is subject to the exclusive rights of their respective holders.<\/p><h2>From registration to seizure: how a trademark is protected in Mexico<\/h2><p><a id=\"uG8pJmIpQAZpbXzlfai5gQ\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/2276925225\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'uG8pJmIpQAZpbXzlfai5gQ',sig:'3ApdVvrKlLWzq2euEP1omGBqzq7IrCjrjSCFaVcesxg=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'2276925225',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><br \/>When a product reproduces a protected trademark without authorization and is falsely presented as original or authentic, the Federal Law for the Protection of Industrial Property (Ley Federal de Protecci\u00f3n a la Propiedad Industrial, LFPPI) provides for consequences that can even reach the criminal sphere, with penalties of up to ten years in prison and fines of up to 500,000 UMA, as well as provisional measures that may include the precautionary seizure of the goods involved.<\/p><p>Added to this protection, moreover, was a tool especially relevant for major events. With the reform to the LFPPI published on April 3, 2026, article 386, section II, subsection e), expressly incorporated as an administrative infringement any act that falsely leads people to believe that &#8220;an official sponsorship relationship exists between a distinctive sign and a public or private mass-gathering event.&#8221; This change is particularly significant for concerts, festivals, and sporting events, since the economic value lies not only in selling a product identified with a given brand, but also in the possibility of presenting it to the consumer as &#8220;official,&#8221; &#8220;authorized,&#8221; or commercially linked to an event, when that relationship does not actually exist.<\/p><p>For such cases, the LFPPI grants IMPI powers of inspection and oversight that allow it to request information and documentation, conduct inspection visits, and adopt measures aimed at stopping the continuation of allegedly infringing conduct related to the unauthorized use of protected distinctive signs. That is how, during Harry Styles&#8217; six dates, Mexico City&#8217;s Citizen Security Secretariat (SSC), in coordination with IMPI personnel, carried out actions to seize around 9,450 pieces of counterfeit merchandise around the venue, in addition to measures implemented against ticket scalping.<\/p><p>In this way, the lines that form outside a stadium also tell a story rooted in intellectual property. At an event of this magnitude, protecting a trademark no longer means merely obtaining a registration certificate: it also means having a comprehensive strategy able to accompany it from the stage to the last mile.<\/p><h2>Is your business protecting its most valuable assets?<\/h2><p><a id=\"PB8W5ggjSZBgGzHN0zq1nw\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/2264087813\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'PB8W5ggjSZBgGzHN0zq1nw',sig:'ZdLXM9NTOVsYSWDyGgye6J84S6XlSKeC5G8_pZOxRwc=',w:'594px',h:'402px',items:'2264087813',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><br \/>For artists, promoters, and sponsoring brands \u2014but also for small and medium-sized enterprises and growing businesses\u2014 Harry Styles&#8217; visit to Mexico leaves a lesson that goes beyond the stage and that also plays out every day in any venture: regardless of its size or industry, a brand, a creation, or a commercial identity can become some of the most valuable assets of any business. A reality that invites us to follow a very concrete checklist:<\/p><ul><li><strong>Identify and protect what sets your business apart.<\/strong> Register your trademarks, trade names, and other protectable signs with IMPI in a timely manner.<\/li><li><strong>Identify your creations and other intangible assets as well.<\/strong> Photographs, designs, audiovisual content, software, campaigns, music, and other works may involve copyright independent of trademark protection.<\/li><li><strong>Make sure you have authorization to use third-party rights.<\/strong> A company must not only protect what belongs to it, but also verify that it can legally use what belongs to others.<\/li><li><strong>Monitor how third parties use your brand and commercial identity.<\/strong> Detecting products, advertising, digital profiles, or promotions that use your signs without authorization in a timely way lets you assess and take the appropriate actions before the problem grows larger.<\/li><li><strong>Document any potential unauthorized use.<\/strong> Keep photographs, screenshots, links, dates, locations, receipts, and any other evidence that can prove how, where, and when your rights were used.<\/li><li><strong>Define by contract who may use your assets and under what conditions.<\/strong> In relationships with partners, employees, agencies, suppliers, distributors, licensees, or collaborators, clearly establish ownership of the rights, the scope of authorizations, brand and image licensing, and liability for potential infringements.<\/li><\/ul><p>Make intellectual property part of your growth strategy. Registering a right is only the beginning: a brand or creation can expand and become an additional source of value for your business. At BE IP, we help artists, brands, promoters, and businesses defend their assets in Mexico and abroad.<\/p><p>Does your brand, your event, or your creative project need a protection strategy? <a style=\"color: #b8960c !important;\" href=\"https:\/\/be-ip.mx\/#contacto\"><strong>Contact us at BE IP<\/strong><\/a> to book a personalized consultation and receive comprehensive support at every stage of protecting your business assets.<\/p><h3>Sources<\/h3><ul><li>Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI). &#8220;En el marco del concierto de Harry Styles se implement\u00f3 un operativo de prevenci\u00f3n\u2026&#8221;. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/impi.mexico\/posts\/en-el-marco-del-concierto-de-harry-styles-se-implement%C3%B3-un-operativo-de-prevenci\/1454652720022289\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Facebook IMPI M\u00e9xico<\/a>.<\/li><li>Milenio. Hern\u00e1ndez, Yair. &#8220;\u00bfCu\u00e1nto dinero dej\u00f3 Harry Styles en CdMx? \u00c9sta es la millonaria derrama de sus seis conciertos en el Estadio GNP Seguros&#8221;. Milenio, August 17, 2026. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.milenio.com\/espectaculos\/musica\/harry-styles-derrama-economica-cdmx-seis-conciertos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">View article<\/a>.<\/li><li>D\u00f3nde Ir. &#8220;Mega bazar de merch de Harry Styles en CDMX extiende fechas: ubicaci\u00f3n, precios y m\u00e1s&#8221;. D\u00f3nde Ir, August 2026. <a href=\"https:\/\/dondeir.com\/musica\/mega-bazar-de-merch-de-harry-styles-en-cdmx-extiende-fechas-ubicacion-precios-y-mas\/2026\/08\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">View article<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Entre el 31 de julio y el 10 de agosto de 2026, Harry Styles convirti\u00f3 a la Ciudad de M\u00e9xico en una de las principales sedes de su gira &#8220;Together, Together&#8221;. Desde la ejecuci\u00f3n p\u00fablica, las marcas registradas y los derechos de imagen hasta un operativo paralelo contra la pirater\u00eda, el paso del int\u00e9rprete brit\u00e1nico [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":900,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"C\u00f3mo se protege la marca de un artista | Caso Harry Styles","_seopress_titles_desc":"La residencia de Harry Styles en la CDMX revela c\u00f3mo la propiedad intelectual protege marcas y derechos de autor. 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