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Trademark and Unfair Comp.
Boston College Law School
February 18, 2009
Genericism, Abandonment
Bayer v. United Drug272 F. 505 (S.D.N.Y. 1921) (Hand,J.)
Drug Names
• Advil (ibuprofen)• Zantac (ranitidine)• Viagra (sildenafil)• Prozac (fluoxetine)
Other Marks
• Generic– Thermos
– Escalator
– Trampoline
– Cellophane
– Nylon
– Yo-Yo
• Generic?– Velcro
– Post-It Notes
– Band-Aid
– Plexiglas
– Kleenex
– Frisbee
– Realtor
Policy Considerations
Distinctiveness
Generic Descriptive Suggestive Arbitrary
Low
HighPotential forConfusion
Harm toCompetition
UnprotectibleSecondaryMeaning Protectible
Policing Your Mark
Surveys
• Thermos Survey– E.g. “if you went into a
store to ask for a vacuum-insulated container, what would you ask for?”
• Teflon Survey– E.g. “is ‘TEFLON a
brand name or the name of a type of product?”
AOL v. AT&T243 F.3d 812 (4th Cir. 2001)
Hypothetical• BEST OF BOSTON
– Boston Magazine uses term for annual survey
– Boston Phoenix wants to conduct similar survey and use term “Boston Phoenix’s Best of Boston List”
– Survey: 75% of public associates BEST OF BOSTON w/ Boston Magazine
1-800-GENERIC
• 1-800-Number Cases– 1-212-MATTRES v. 1-800-MATTRES– 1-800-HOLIDAY v. 1-800-H0(zero)LIDAY
Abandonment
• Lanham Act §45 (15 U.S.C. §1125):– Abandonment. A mark shall be deemed to be
“abandoned” when either of the following occurs:• (1) When its use has been discontinued with intent not to
resume such use. Intent not to reuse may be inferred from circumstances. Nonuse for three consecutive years shall be
prima facie evidence of abandonment. . . . • (2) When any course of conduct of the owner, including acts
of omission as well as commission, causes the mark to become the generic name for the goods … or otherwise to lose its significance as a mark.
Abandonment
• Types of abandonment– Non-Use– Assignment in Gross– Naked Licensing– Failure to Police
Silverman v. CBS870 F.2d 40 (2d Cir. 1989)
Trademark / Source Nexus
Arbitrary(E.g. NIKE)
Source(E.g. Nike, Inc.)
Descriptive(E.g. ALL BRAN)
Source(E.g. Kellogg, Inc.)
Generic(E.g. aspirin)
Source(E.g. Bayer, Inc.)
Strong Weak None
Abandonment
Nonuse
Trademark(Amos & Andy)
Source(CBS, Inc.)
Trademark(Amos & Andy)
Source(CBS, Inc.)
Trademark(Amos & Andy)
Source(CBS, Inc.)
Sports Teams
Abandonment
Trademark(HEARTLAND)
Source(Sears, Inc.)
Assignment in Gross
Trademark(HEARTLAND)
Source(Clark &
Freeman Corp.)?
?
Abandonment
Trademark(DA VINCI)
Source(Barcamerica)
Naked Licensing
Trademark(DA VINCI)
Source(Barcamerica)
Licensee(Renaissance)
?
Abandonment
Failure to Police
Trademark(BADGER)
Source(U.W.)
Trademark(BADGER)
Source(U.W.)
Trademark(BADGER)
Source(U.W.)
Administrative Details
• Next Assignment– VI.A.1 & 2 – Likelihood of Confusion