The case before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) involved a dispute between SC FC Politehnica Timişoara SA (the Appellant) and CS FCU Politehnica Timişoara (the Respondent) over the unauthorized use of the Appellant's name, colors, historical achievements, and logo. The Appellant, a long-established Romanian football club founded in 1920, argued that the Respondent had improperly adopted its identity, leading to public confusion and misappropriation of its legacy. The Romanian Football Federation (RFF) had approved the Respondent's name changes, which the Appellant challenged, claiming procedural flaws and violations of its rights. The CAS arbitrator, Prof. Michael Geistlinger, addressed key legal issues, distinguishing between a club's name (a personal identifier) and its mark (a commercial symbol). He ruled that the RFF had the authority to regulate club names to ensure distinctiveness but had failed in this duty by allowing the Respondent to imitate the Appellant's identity. The arbitrator emphasized that club colors and historical records are integral to identity and must be protected from imitation. The Respondent's actions were found to violate the Appellant's personality rights, and the RFF's approval of the name changes was deemed procedurally flawed. The CAS ordered the Respondent to revert to its previous name or adopt a new, distinct one and prohibited it from using the Appellant's colors, history, or logo. Financial penalties were imposed: €90,000 for violations between June 13, 2006, and December 4, 2006 (€5,000 per match), with additional fines for future violations until compliance. The RFF's Federal Appellate Commission was tasked with determining compensation for earlier violations (January 31, 2005, to June 12, 2006). The ruling underscored the importance of protecting club identities in sports and set a precedent for enforcing distinctiveness to prevent confusion and uphold historical integrity. The case highlighted the intersection of sports governance and legal principles, affirming CAS's role in resolving such disputes while respecting national and international regulations. The decision reinforced the need for sports federations to carefully exercise their regulatory powers to safeguard club identities and maintain fairness in professional football.