TRADEMARKS -- OUTLINE # 3

September 11-13, 2000


II.    Trademark (Cont'd)

       C.  Life of a trademark

            1.    Selection

            2.   Investigation

            3.   Use or intent to use

            4.   Registration

            5. Policing

    WHICH REGISTER
REGISTER TEST
Principal Distinctive of & distinguishes goods
Supplemental Capable of distinguishing goods but does not meet § 2 requirements
    6. Benefits of registration
                                                                       BENEFITS OF REGISTRATION
 
  PRINCIPAL REGISTER SUPPLEMENTAL REGISTER 
TESTS Capable of & distinguishes goods Capable of distinguishing goods but does not meet §1052
BENEFITS    
Sue in federal court - §1116 X X
Apply for registration in foreign countries X X
Possible treble damages - §1117(d) X X
Use of symbol ® - §1111 X X
Deters innocent infringers X X
Prima facie evidence rule - §1115(a) X  
Constructive notice - §1072 X  
Registration in many foreign countries as a matter of right - §1126(b) X  
Stop importations with infringing marks - §1124 X  
Free assignment of rights - §1057(d) X  
Incontestability X  

 
C.  Registrable marks

      1.    Forbidden marks - § 2(a)-(c) [1053]

      2.    Distinctiveness - § 2(f)

  a.  Strong v. weakTM’s

  b.  Fanciful, arbitrary = strong

  c.  Suggestive TM’s  = okay
 
PROTECTABILITY BY TYPE OF MARK
MARK WHENPROTECTABLE
Generic Never
Descriptive (including surnames & geographical terms) Upon showing of distinctiveness, i.e., 2d meaning
Suggestive Immediately, no 2d meaning required
Arbitrary, fanciful Immediately, strong protection
               3.   Descriptive marks (TM's)

                  a.   Common descriptive name

                  b.  PTO descriptiveness determination

                       1.   Is mark used as TM or name of goods?

                       2.   Does mark tell purchaser what goods are or describe goods characteristics?

                       3.  Is word in common usage in the trade?

                  c.  Pure descriptive = okay if 2d meaning

                        See, Something Old, Something New, Inc. v. QVC, Inc. 59 P.T.C.J. 491 (S.D.N.Y. 1999)

                  d.   Suggestive TM’s

             4. Misdescriptive TM’s - e.g., NAVY on candy

 
                                                            DECEPTIVE AND MISDESCRIPTIVE MARKS & REGISTRATION
 

TYPE WHEN REGISTRABLE
Misdescriptive Upon use
Deceptively misdescriptive Upon showing of 2d meaning
Deceptive Never
 
5.    Generic marks

        HYPO:

         X mfgr’s AMMONIA; seeks to register as a mark
         Y mfgr’s ammonia - opposes

        a.    General nature v. special characteristics

         b.  Not generic if used as name or to identify unique product or service

         c.  Primary significance test vs. purchaser motivation

         d.    Anti-Monopoly, cited p. 202

         e.    1-800 numbers as generic terms

         f.    Preventing marks from becoming generic

         g.    Foreign terms as generic marks

                1.  In re Le Sorbet, Inc., 228 U.S.P.Q. 27 (TTAB, 1985)

                2.  Enrique Bernet, F. S.A. v. Guadalajara, Inc., 59 P.T.C.J. 883 (5th Cir. 2000)

    6   Geographical terms

 HYPO:

 A mfg’rs coffee mugs =  MONTANA MUGS and seeks registration

 a.   Primarily geographic terms = descriptive; okay if 2d  meaning

        **********

 A uses outline of state of Montana with mark MONTANA MUGS

    **********

 See In re Texun Tire & Battery, 229 U.S.P.Q. 227 (TTAB 1986).

 b. Geographically misdescriptive

**********

 HYPO:

 X produces beer as COLORADO KOOL-ADE
 Y, a brewer, opposes registration

**********

        1.   Neither primarily geographically descriptive     nor deceptively misdescriptive if:

              a.   Does not identify place

              b.   Does not  suggest goods come from the region

       2.   No 2d meaning  required
 

                                                GEOGRAPHICAL TERMS AND REGISTRATION
TYPE REGISTRABILITY
Geographically deceptive Barred - § 1052(a)
Geographically deceptively misdescriptive Barred - § 1052(e) except for continuous use of 10 years of more under NAFTA
Geographically misdescriptive Okay - no 2d meaning required. Exception - barred for wines and spirits under TRIPS
Geographically descriptive Registrable if shows 2d meaning
7. Personal names as marks
1. At common law anyone could use her name as a mark.

2. Modern rule - limited where consumer confusion results

3. Lanham Act rule - words which are primarily merely a surname cannot go on the Principal Register

    a.   Junior user gets preference in injunction

    b.  Prevention of consumer confusion
 
        1.  Enjoin use
 
        2. Geographical limitations

        3.   Modify mark
 
       4.   Limiting phrases

    D.    Trade dress & product configuration

            1.    Functionality

                    HYPO:

                    Hamburger-shaped building

                    a.  Three dimensional designs

                    b.  Functional designs -- Registerable?  No.

            2.    Trade dress = packaging

                    a.    Two Pesos, p. 236

                            1.    2d meaning

                            2.    Inherent distinctiveness

                    b.    H.R. 3163 (1998)

            3.    Product configuration

                   a.    Wal-Mart, extra assigned case

                          1.    Product configuration = 2d meaning required

                          2.    Critique of case

                   b.    Design patents and product configuration

            4.    Colors as marks

                   a.    Disagreement among circuits

                         1.    Deere & Co.v. Farmhand, Inc., 560 F. Supp. 85 (S.D. Iowa, 1982), aff'd 721 F.2d 253 (8th Cir. 1983)

                         2.    In re Owens-Corning Fiberglas, cited p. 230

                                a.    Color depletion

                                b.    Shade confusion

                        3.    Qualitex, cited p. 230