Intellectual Property Boston College Law School March 25, 2009 Trademark – Priority

Intellectual Property

Boston College Law School

March 25, 2009

Trademark – Priority

Requirements• Lanham Act § 45 (15 U.S.C. § 1125)

– Trademark. The term “trademark” includes any word, name, symbol, or device, or any combination thereof -

• (1) used by a person, or• (2) which a person has a bona fide intention to use in

commerce and applies to register …

– to identify and distinguish his or her goods … from those manufactured or sold by others and to indicate the source of the goods ….

Categories of MarksLess Protection More Protection

GenericDenotes generalclass of products

Unprotectible

Shredded Wheat,Aspirin, Thermos,Cellophane, Car,

Computer

ArbitraryBears no relation

to product

AutomaticallyProtectible

DescriptiveDescribes some

characteristic/quality

Protectible ifsecondary meaning

SuggestiveSuggests somecharacteristic

AutomaticallyProtectible

Trade Dress & Product DesignTrade Dress Product Design

Two Pesos v. Taco Cabana

Two Pesos v. Taco Cabana505 U.S. 763 (1992)

• Findings of the District Court– Taco Cabana has an identifiable trade dress– The trade dress is non-functional– The trade dress is inherently distinctive– The trade dress has not acquired secondary

meaning

Inherently Distinctive?

Inherently Distinctive?

Policy Considerations

Distinctiveness

Generic Descriptive Inherently Distinctive

Low

HighPotential forConfusion

Harm toCompetition

Trade Dress,Trademarks

ProductDesign

Example - Review






Zazu Designs v. L’Oreal

Nov.

Jan.

Mar.

May.

Jul.

Sep.

Nov. – Minimal Sales- 2 bottles to friend in TX- 40 bottles to stylist in FL

Orders 25,000 bottles & labels

Sep. – Sales to salon customers

Apr. – Small interstate shipment

Jun. – Files for registration of mark

Zazu DesignsL’Oreal

Concurrent Use

• Two types of concurrent use– Different Products

• E.g. Apple Records and Apple Computers

• E.g. Delta Faucets and Delta Airlines

• E.g. Acme Cleaners, Acme Mufflers, Acme ...

– Different Geographic Markets• E.g. Broadway Pizza (Boston) and

Broadway Pizza (S.F.)

Concurrent Use - No Reg.

Broadway Pizza (CA)

Broadway Pizza (MA)

Concurrent Use - Fed. Reg.

Broadway Pizza (CA)

Broadway Pizza (MA)

Secondary Meaning

Time

0%

50%

Consumerswho Assoc.

Achieved Secondary Meaning

StartUse No

Protection

Secondary Meaning in the Making






Advantages of Registration

• Nationwide constructive use - priority

• Nationwide constructive notice

• Possibility of achieving incontestability

• Presumption of validity at trial

• Right to sue in federal court

• Availability of extra remedies (e.g. attorney fees, treble damages, border exclusion …)

Registration Process

• Clearing the trademark

• Start use or have bona fide intent to use

• File application

• Examination by PTO

• Publication in Official Gazette

• Registration– Or if intent to use, notice of allowance and later

filing of statement of use; then registration

Bars to Registration

• Lanham Act §2: – (a) Immoral, scandalous, deceptive; disparages

– (b) Flag, coat of arms, insignia of U.S., state, etc.

– (c) Name, portrait, signature of living individual

– (d) Likely to cause confusion with other mark

– (e) Consists of mark that is:• (1) merely descriptive or deceptively misdescriptive

• (2) primarily geographically descriptive

• (3) primarily geographically deceptively misdescriptive

• (4) primarily a surname

• (5) functional

Bars - Immoral, Scandalous

• Lanham Act §2:– Shall register mark unless it:

• “(a) Consists of or comprises immoral, deceptive, or scandalous matter, or matter which may disparage or falsely suggest a connection with persons, living or dead, institutions, beliefs, or national symbols, or bring them into contempt or disrepute”

Harjo v. Pro-Football, Inc.

Other Examples

“Jesus Christ” brand beer










• (5) functional










• (5) functional

Administrative

• Next class– Read through VI.D.3 – Dilution

Examples• Lanham Act §2(e) - Examples:

– Descriptive 2(e)(1)• E.g. “ORGANIC” for organically grown oranges

– Deceptive 2(a)• E.g. “ORGANIC” for non-organic oranges

– Deceptively misdescriptive 2(e)(1)• E.g. “JOE’S FAVORITE” for oranges that aren’t Joe’s favorite

– Geographically descriptive 2(e)(2)• E.g. “FLORIDA” for Florida oranges

– Geographically deceptive• E.g. “FLORIDA” for Georgia oranges

– Geographically deceptively misdescriptive 2(e)(3)• E.g. “FLORIDA” for auto parts

– Arbitrary (geographically nondeceptively misdescriptive)• E.g. “ANTARCTIC” for Georgia oranges

Documents

Intellectual Property Boston College Law School March 25, 2009 Trademark – Priority