1. Intellectual Property Boston College Law School April 4, 2008 Trademark – Priority, Registration

2. 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 ….

3. 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 …)

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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”

7. Harjo v. Pro-Football, Inc.

8. Other Examples “Jesus Christ” brand beer

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. Administrative Next class –Read through VI.D.2 – Likelihood of Confusion

13. Examples, Redux Geographic Descriptive Florida (Florida Oranges) Misdescriptive Nondeceptively Antarctic (Florida Oranges) Deceptively Florida (Georgia Oranges) §2(e)(2) - Can register if Secondary Meaning §2(e)(3) - Cannot register Arbitrary or suggestive - Can register