1. Trademark and Unfair Comp. Boston College Law School February 18, 2009 Genericism, Abandonment

2. Bayer v. United Drug 272 F. 505 (S.D.N.Y. 1921) (Hand,J.)

3. Drug Names Advil (ibuprofen) Zantac (ranitidine) Viagra (sildenafil) Prozac (fluoxetine)

4. Other Marks Generic –Thermos –Escalator –Trampoline –Cellophane –Nylon –Yo-Yo Generic? –Velcro –Post-It Notes –Band-Aid –Plexiglas –Kleenex –Frisbee –Realtor

5. Policy Considerations Distinctiveness Generic Descriptive Suggestive Arbitrary Low High Potential for Confusion Harm to Competition Unprotectible Secondary Meaning Protectible

6. Policing Your Mark

7. 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?”

8. AOL v. AT&T 243 F.3d 812 (4th Cir. 2001)

9. 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

10. 1-800-GENERIC 1-800-Number Cases –1-212-MATTRES v. 1-800-MATTRES –1-800-HOLIDAY v. 1-800-H0(zero)LIDAY

11. 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.

12. Abandonment Types of abandonment –Non-Use –Assignment in Gross –Naked Licensing –Failure to Police

13. Silverman v. CBS 870 F.2d 40 (2d Cir. 1989)

14. 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

15. Abandonment Nonuse Trademark (Amos & Andy) Source (CBS, Inc.) Trademark (Amos & Andy) Source (CBS, Inc.) Trademark (Amos & Andy) Source (CBS, Inc.)

16. Sports Teams

17. Abandonment Trademark (HEARTLAND) Source (Sears, Inc.) Assignment in Gross Trademark (HEARTLAND) Source (Clark & Freeman Corp.) ? ?

18. Abandonment Trademark (DA VINCI) Source (Barcamerica) Naked Licensing Trademark (DA VINCI) Source (Barcamerica) Licensee (Renaissance) ?

19. Abandonment Failure to Police Trademark (BADGER) Source (U.W.) Trademark (BADGER) Source (U.W.) Trademark (BADGER) Source (U.W.)

20. Administrative Details Next Assignment –VI.A.1 & 2 – Likelihood of Confusion