Overview
- The white pekin duck Merlín and his family visited President Claudia Sheinbaum’s morning press conference on Monday, June 22, where the duck was presented as a popular unofficial World Cup symbol and the family spoke about their life.
- Sheinbaum pledged federal help to translate Merlín’s fame into better living conditions for the family and said a third party had tried to register the duck’s image without the family’s consent.
- After the Palace meeting the family went to the Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Industrial and initiated a trademark filing for Merlín’s name and image to legally control commercial use.
- Street vendors and sellers have already begun offering Merlín-themed merchandise and the family says it will not authorize companies to profit from the duck except possibly Corporativo Pascual.
- Critics and activists protested the publicity, comparing the presidential reception to unmet requests by relatives of missing people, and legal experts note IMPI examinations can take months, creating possible licensing disputes to watch for.