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Jody Blanke, Professor Computer Information Systems and Law 1
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Trademark Law Combination of federal and state law Authority of federal law derives from regulation of interstate commerce Authority of state law derives from regulation of intrastate commerce 2
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Protects Dual Interests Protects trademark owner’s interest in brand name value and good will Protects consumers from confusion 3
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Trademarks can be … Words Phrases Symbols Sounds Colors Smells 4
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586 Intel learned that you cannot trademark numbers themselves Pentium can be trademarked You can trademark 7-Up Three-peat 5
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Generics 6
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Dixie Cups Frisbee Hi-Liter Kitty Litter Kleenex Magic Marker Ping-Pong Popsicle Scotch Tape Sheetrock TV Dinners Wiffle Ball Cellophane Corn Flakes Dry Ice Lanolin Mimeograph Monopoly Pogo Stick Raisin Bran Shredded Wheat Thermos Toll House Trampoline 7
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Strength of Protection 1. Fanciful e.g., Kodak, Atari, Exxon 2. Arbitrary e.g., Apple, Amazon 3. Suggestive e.g., Compaq, Dairy Queen 4. Descriptive (must acquire a secondary meaning)e.g., Computerland, Ben & Jerrys 5. Generic e.g., aspirin, elevator 8
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Trademark Infringement “Likelihood of confusion” standard Court looks at factors like similarity of goods sophistication of consumers length of time that mark has been used wrongful intent 9
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Lexus/Lexis Mead Data Corp. sued Toyota in 1989 Toyota won court found little chance of confusion perspective luxury car buyer won’t come home with a legal database instead and vice versa 10
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Trademark Dilution Federal Trademark Dilution Act of 1996 prior to 1996, 28 states had anti-dilution laws Under the Trademark Dilution Revision Act of 2006, must show “famous” mark – as "widely recognized by the general consuming public of the United States” “likelihood of dilution” 11
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Google Sandwich Shoppe Makes a great sandwich Becomes very popular “Let’s go to Google” dilution by blurring But after the very unfortunate e-coli incident dilution by tarnishment 12
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Lexus/Lexis Revisited Would there be infringement today? Would there be dilution today? 13
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Web Domain Names New frontier for trademark law Early “entrepreneurs” registered www.mtv.com www.abc.com www.sex.com Today we call them cybersquatters 14
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www.delta.com Nov. 1996 15
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www.delta.com April 2000 16
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www.delta.com August 2000 17
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www.delta.com October 2000 18
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www.delta.com June 2013 19
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www.nissan.com Nov. 1996 20
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www.nissan.com Oct. 1999 21
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www.nissan.com April 2006 22
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www.nissan.com April 2013 23
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www.google.com June 2004 24
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www.froogle.com June 2004 25
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www.booble.com June 2004 26
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www.booble.com Sept. 2004 27
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Contested Domain Names www.playboyxxx.com www.asianplayboy.com www.lucentsucks.com www.amazom.com 28
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