The bookseller from Izmir defends himself, stating, “But our fields are so different. Hermes, Zeus, or Santa Claus belong to the cultural heritage of humanity. No company should be able to appropriate these names so deeply rooted in our collective memory,” protests Umit Nar, as reported by AFP.
The first hearing of the ongoing trial took place last month. “But our fields are so different. Hermes sells luxury leather bags for thousands of euros, and I sell second-hand books for 15 Turkish liras, 45 euro cents,” points out Umit Nar.
“Claiming that we could be confused is ridiculous. It’s also an insult to the intelligence of their customers,” he believes. Pending the second hearing, scheduled for March 27, during which an expert report is expected to be presented, Umit Nar has decided to make his voice heard on social media in the hope of eliciting a response from Hermès headquarters in Paris.
However, despite several attempts by AFP to contact the company, no response was provided. “More than my real name, most people know me as the Hermes Bookseller,” he insists. Furthermore, he points out that the god Hermes is also closely associated with the history of Izmir, the ancient Smyrna on the Aegean coast, the land of many legends of Greek mythology.
“It is not fair for an international company to appropriate a cultural element. I am also fighting against that,” he asserts.