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Holiday Trademark Roundup

It’s time for Ritter Spencer’s first annual holiday trademark round up. During the holidays, you will see several commercials and other advertisement for holiday specific products. Many of the brands behind these advertisements protect their goods and services through federal trademark registration. Even the studios behind some of the famous and classic Christmas movies that you watch have trademarked the goods and services related to their movies and characters. By owning a trademark, trademark owners can exclude others from using a confusingly similar name that may lead to consumer confusion.

December 20, 2017 Trademark

“We’re Gonna Lose Our Circle R (®)!”

The legal and marketing departments behind the Velcro® trademark are attempting to avoid genericide of the mark through consumer education and brand awareness. This week, Velcro Companies released a catchy tune lauding the company’s trademarked brand name and urging consumers to only use VELCRO to refer to actual Velcro products.

September 28, 2017 Trademark

Trademark Registration 101: What Can I Register?

Trademarks can include any word, name, symbol, device, or any combination thereof used to identify and distinguish goods and services used in interstate commerce. Most people know that trademarks consisting of words and/or graphic designs can be registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. However, non-traditional trademarks, which may include color, sound, texture, smell, taste, texture, etc., are also eligible for trademark registration under the Lanham Act. Non-traditional trademarks also include trade dress, which we will discuss on the blog next week.

August 17, 2017 Trademark

Type of Trademarks: Service, Collective & Certification Trademarks

A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol, and/or design that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods or services of one party from those of others. Where a trademark serves as a source identifier services, you may see it referred to as a service mark. For example, MCDONALDS is used as a trademark for both goods and services. The MCDONALDS service mark covers the brick and mortar retail stores and food services that McDonalds offers to the public. Fun fact: McDonalds once sued a dentist for using the term McDental as a service mark for providing dental services.

August 8, 2017 Trademark

Trademark Categories: What Kind of Trademark Do I Have?

When you speak with a trademark lawyer, you may hear them refer to the “registrability” of your trademark. This term refers to the fact that not all words, logos, slogans, etc., can be registered as a federal trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

The strength of a trademark depends on what trademark category the mark falls under. There are five categories of trademarks: generic trademarks, descriptive trademarks, suggestive trademarks, arbitrary trademarks, and fanciful trademarks.

July 27, 2017 Trademark

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