This is an independent informational site. It is not affiliated with Sofie Van der Stee, Sofie Biondo, or the entity Biondo Studios.
Public Identity Disclosure: Sofie Van der Stee (aka 'Sofie Biondo') and the Biondo Studio Trademark.
This page serves as an informational resource for clients and partners to distinguish between the original Biondo Studio (est. 2003) and a more recent entity named Biondo Studios (est. 2020) operated by Sofie Van der Stee (aka 'Sofie Biondo').
Timeline
April 2003 and September 2008
Denise Ciecierega-Biondo worked to build a brand from scratch, and earned a excellent reputation for 23+ years with clients all over the world. It was established as Denise Biondo Studio in April 2003, using the domain name of denisebiondo.com, founded on her actual legal name. In September 2008 the business was officially changed to biondostudio.com as it's been operating ever since. The domain name of biondostudio(s).com was registered to this company but accidentally expired since Biondo Studio had so many domain registrations.
July 2020
Sofie Van der Stee announces "Biondo Studios" (17 years after the original Biondo Studio launch) working in the same digital market offering identical services.
2020-ish
Instagram post of Sofie Van der Stee adopting the 'Biondo' surname as a business pseudonym despite having no legal or ancestral connection to the name. As a domain or business name, any word in any language would have been acceptable to use, provided it wasn't a derivative of "studio."
March 7, 2021
Sofie Van der Stee discussing cold emailing new potential clients on Twitter, using an almost identical name of an already established design studio.
Aug 30, 2021
When a PayPal payment was stuck in transit because a client accidentally used the pluralized version of Biondo Studio, Denise Ciecierega-Biondo realized that another business offering the same services was operating under a nearly identical name.
Official USPTO trademark application was then filed for "Biondo Studio."
Sept 9, 2021
Formal cease and desist sent to Sofie Van der Stee after filing the application was approved and getting a serial number for the case.
Sept 13, 2021
Sofie Van der Stee registers Benelux trademark for "Biondo Studios" 4 days later, in direct response to the cease and desist notice from official Biondo Studio. This action is documented evidence of bad-faith intent to circumvent the original trademark holder's prior rights.
However, being the "first to file" in Benelux, or any specific region does not grant immunity when the filing was executed with full knowledge of a prior existing brand that works internationally. A designer targeting the same global digital market, cannot claim they were unaware of an (at that time) 18-year-old firm with the exact same name and a large client list (immediately after receiving a cease and desist email.)
September 30, 2021
Sofie Van der Stee's refusal to comply with the cease and desist email, after filing her trademark for the imitation Biondo Studios in the Benelux region.
December 20, 2022
Official Biondo Studio trademark officially registered after over a year of thorough USPTO examination process.
2022 - 2026
Sofie Van der Stee's results mixed up with official Biondo Studio results and portfolio work in the search engines. The two brands differentiated by only using a single "S" results in brand entanglement and 'typosquatting' effects, where the addition of a single 's' redirects senior brand traffic.
2022–2026
Continued instances of client confusion and accidental redirection of business on social media, following Sofie Van der Stee's business instead of the original Biondo Studio account.
February 20, 2026
Client referrals being redirected to wrong site because of the nearly identical domain names of the original Biondo Studio and Sofie Van der Stee's portfolio.
2026
Current official Biondo Studio website has very large font, minimalist look, and a circular button for contact.
2026
Sofie Van der Stee's website mirrors specific UI/UX elements of the original firm, triggering 'look-alike' browser security warnings.
Report an Incident
If you have recently interacted with "Biondo Studios" or Sofie Van der Stee under the impression that you were engaging with the original Biondo Studio (est. 2003), please let us know. Your feedback helps us maintain brand integrity and protect the design community.
Disclaimer: This website is an independent informational resource and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Sofie Van der Stee or Biondo Studios. All dates and facts are based on public records and documented business history.