CALL FOR PAPERS: CEM – Cultura, Espaço & Memória, n.º 21

2025-03-07
CALL FOR PAPERS

CEM – Cultura, Espaço & Memória, n.º 21

N.º 21, 1st Semester 2026

Thematic dossier: «Trademarks and designations of origin»

Editors: Carla Sequeira (CITCEM/FLUP) and Pedro Almeida Leitão (CITCEM/FLUP)

Most studies on trademarks and brands have focused on legal, economic, and business aspects in the contemporary era (Sáiz and Castro 2018), in connection with the development of international trade, large companies in dynamic industries, and consumer society since the late 19th century (Wilkins 1992).

Duguid (2003) highlights the role of distribution chains in the development of modern brands. The companies that made up these chains used brands not only as commercial assets but also as negotiation tools to discipline other links upstream and downstream in the chain, over which they had no direct control. Although trademarks and designations of origin with legal protection at the national and international levels are a feature of the contemporary era, they were preceded, since the late Middle Ages, by manufacturing marks and the use of designations of origin in the trade of specific products (Belfanti 2018).

The value of brands is a multidimensional phenomenon and not strictly legal. While it is secured and protected through registration, it results from the association between the product and words, symbols, and representations, in a process where marketing and advertising shape expectations about the promised quality, the manufacturer's reputation, and consumer perceptions. This process establishes emotional, symbiotic, long-lasting, and transnational relationships that strengthen the company’s position in the market (Schwarzkopf 2010).

The importance of studying brands and designations of origin from a historical perspective has been emphasized by several authors. For example, in the context of the wine crisis and intense competition in international markets, alongside the proliferation of industrial processes of imitation and counterfeiting (Lopes, Lluche and Pereira 2020) (Teresa Silva Lopes?). The officialization of trademark registration in the late 19th century legitimized the uniqueness of the product and provided legal protection against fraud.

Additionally, the role of brands as a strategic resource for certain industries has been highlighted, as they provide competitive advantages that are as significant as, or even greater than, those obtained through investments in technology (Lopes 2013). Researchers have evaluated brands as a measure of industrial dynamism in various countries throughout the contemporary era, linking them to the economic performance of different firms and sectors (Duguid, Lopes and Mercer 2010; Sáiz and Zofío 2022).

The importance of studying brands from an advertising perspective has also been underscored by several authors. As Torres (2023) points out, the growing presence of brands in the press since the late 19th century is a consequence of integration, development, and competition in national and international markets, the creation of trademark registration in various countries, and the development of communication and the popular press. The expansion of markets and the ability of manufacturing more for selling at distant places led to a greater separation between producers and consumers within the distribution chain (Pereira and Cruz 2017). This required making the product known through new media, such as the implementation of professionalized teams, the development of packaging and labeling processes, and the use of mass advertising media, including posters, newspaper advertisements, and even cinema (Tedlow 2015; Barreira 2023).

This dossier aims to contribute to the analysis of the evolution of brands and designations of origin over the long term, comparing different economic sectors and integrating an international perspective.

Submissions may include articles on, but not limited to, the following topics:

  • To understand the potential continuities or discontinuities of brands in the long term.
  • Masters’ marks, from medieval and modern times to modern commercial brands, and the way they have related to markets, near and far, the social and institutional players involved.
  • The complementary or conflicting relationships between trademarks and designations of origin.
  • Analysis of national and international legal frameworks for trademark and designation of origin protection.
  • Trademark registration and management as a means of understanding business activity.
  • Industry and/or cross-sectional analyses of national or international commercial brands.
  • Case studies on brands/companies.
  • Comparative analyses of brands and/or designations of origin of products from different economic sectors.
  • Analyses of product labels and brand imagery.
  • The presence, communication and management of brands in advertising and/or film production.
  • The emergence of image management, communication, and brand value strategies is associated with the rise of advertising.

Acceptance of texts will be subject to peer review.

In addition to the thematic dossier, CEM Journal accepts other studies in the Vária section, as well as news and critical reviews.

THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING PROPOSALS IS 31-10-2025.

AUTHORS MUST IDENTIFY THE CEM NUMBER IN TITLE OF THE ARTICLE.