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Trademarks › Generic Marks

A Trademark is a legally registered distinctive mark or sign which identifies goods, products or services that originate or are associated with a particular person or enterprise . A typical example of a trademark... more +
A Trademark is a legally registered distinctive mark or sign which identifies goods, products or services that originate or are associated with a particular person or enterprise . A typical example of a trademark would be a company's logo such as the Nike "Check" or McDonald's "Golden Arches."  less -
Clark Hill PLC

Worried your trademark might be commercially and conceptually weak? Recent opinions by the trademark trial and appeal board...

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As any marketing expert will tell you, the best trademarks are both creative and unique. Such “strong” trademarks are more memorable and set a product apart from competitors’ products....more

Jaburg Wilk

Understanding Trademark Distinctiveness: The Spectrum of Protection

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In trademark law, distinctiveness is key. The more distinctive a mark, the stronger its legal protection—and the easier to register and enforce the mark. Trademark law classifies marks along a spectrum of distinctiveness,...more

Mayer Brown

Key Court Decisions: Functional and Generic Trademarks

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In this episode of The Upper Brand, Richard Assmus, Kristine Young, and Christa Cole delve into key court cases that have shaped trademark law. They explore the intricacies of functional and generic trademarks, with insights...more

Ladas & Parry LLP

Federal Circuit: it’s not easy being green for colour marks

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Legal updates: case law analysis and intelligence - - The TTAB, applying the Milwaukee test, rejected an application for a dark green colour mark for medical gloves on the ground that it was generic - The Federal Circuit...more

Jaburg Wilk

Common Trademark Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

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Registering and protecting a trademark involves more than just filing paperwork. Many businesses make costly errors that could lead to rejection, enforcement issues, or even the loss of rights. Here are some of the most...more

International Lawyers Network

Can Non-English Language Trademarks Be Refused Registration Based on the Foreign Equivalents Doctrine?

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Suppose that you want to register your trademark that is in a non-English language on goods or services for your business in the United States. Will your non-English language trademark need to be translated to English to...more

Fish & Richardson

Trademark Application for French “Clothing” Unravels at the Federal Circuit

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The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit recently affirmed a denial by the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) of an application filed by fashion house Vetements Group AG for VETEMENTS for various articles of...more

Knobbe Martens

Coloring Within the Lines: The Genericness Test for Color Trademarks

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IN RE: PT MEDISAFE TECHNOLOGIES - Before Prost, Clevenger, and Stark. Appeal from the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. A proposed color mark was found generic where the relevant public perceived the color to be a common...more

Fish & Richardson

Green Glove Trademark Application Gets Red Light From Federal Circuit

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In a precedential decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit recently blessed the test used by the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) for denying registration to PT Medisafe Technologies for a...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

No Green Light to Register Color Mark for Medical Gloves

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Addressing for the first time the test for determining whether a color mark is generic, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit adopted the Trademark Trial & Appeal Board’s Milwaukee test as the appropriate standard,...more

ArentFox Schiff

It’s Not Easy Being Green (If You Are a Color Trademark for Medical Gloves)

ArentFox Schiff on

In refusing registration of the color green for “chloroprene medical examination gloves,” the Federal Circuit adopted — for the first time — a legal test for genericness of color marks. The decision underscores the high...more

Irwin IP LLP

Finding The Right Fit: The Test for Color Marks 

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In Re: PT Medisafe Technologies, No. 2023-1573 (Fed. Cir. April 29, 2025) - On April 29, 2025, the Federal Circuit adopted a test from the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB”) for determining whether a color mark is...more

Jones Day

Gloves Off: Court Says No to Green Trademark Protection

Jones Day on

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit held that the test for determining whether a word mark is generic also applies to color marks....more

Knobbe Martens

Fireball Frenzy: When First Registering a Mark, Genericness of a Mark Is Determined at the Time of Registration

Knobbe Martens on

BULLSHINE DISTILLERY LLC v. SAZERAC BRANDS, LLC - Before Moore, Reyna and Taranto. Appeal from the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. In assessing genericness, the TTAB considers how the mark was understood at the time of...more

International Lawyers Network

Can U.S. Trademark Registrations Be Cancelled for Genericness?

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Suppose that you have obtained a U.S. trademark registration for your trademark on goods or services for your business. Can your trademark registration be cancelled with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office based on...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

Beach Buggy Battle: Stipulation Insufficient to Establish Trademark Distinctiveness

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The US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit found that a district court does not need to accept both parties’ stipulation that a mark is distinctive but instead is permitted to make an evidentiary inquiry in determining...more

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

A SUPER HERO-ic Trademark Takedown

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Last month, the creators of beloved characters like “Superman” and “Spider-Man” declined to come to their own rescue when their SUPER HERO and SUPER HEROES registrations were cancelled by a default judgment from the U.S....more

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.

I'm Not Dead Yet! NYT Connections Puzzle Snafu and How to Prevent Genericide 

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Popular brands face attacks from all sides, from competitors trying to chip away at market share, to bad actors seeking to profit from counterfeit or knockoff products. However, one lesser-known threat arises when your...more

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Central District Finds SnapChat’s Spectacles Mark is Not Generic for Smart Glasses

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In Snap, Inc. v. Vidal, the Central District of California found the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB”) was wrong in finding that SnapChat’s SPECTACLES mark is generic for smart glasses. The district court’s opinion...more

Weintraub Tobin

(Podcast) The Briefing: The Fall of SUPER HERO – When Trademarks Become Generic

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For more than half a century, Marvel Comics and DC Comics have jointly owned the trademark ‘Superhero.’ However, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board recently granted a petition to cancel that mark because it became generic....more

Weintraub Tobin

The Briefing: The Fall of SUPER HERO – When Trademarks Become Generic

Weintraub Tobin on

For more than half a century, Marvel Comics and DC Comics have jointly owned the trademark ‘Superhero.’ However, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board recently granted a petition to cancel that mark because it became generic....more

DarrowEverett LLP

Super Hero No More: How Marvel and DC Lost Their Trademark on a Genre

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I distinctly remember purchasing the Superman/Spiderman team-up when it came out in 1981. It was an oversized comic book, with heavier than usual pages and a vibrant color scheme, and that made it perfect for laying it out on...more

Womble Bond Dickinson

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane - It’s in the Public Domain! USPTO Cancels Marvel and DC Comics’ Trademarks for SUPER HERO and SUPER...

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The U.S. Patent and Trademark office has done what Thanos and Lex Luthor never could—defeat the larger than life combined forces of Marvel and DC. Despite being well-known rivals, DC (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and...more

Smart & Biggar

The OQLF’s new guidelines: practical resources for trademarks on products

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On June 26, 2024, the Regulation to amend mainly the Regulation respecting the language of commerce and business (the Regulation) was published in the Gazette officielle du Québec. Since then, the Office québécois de la...more

Vicente LLP

How to Choose a Trademark for Your Cannabis Brand

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Building a strong and distinctive brand identity for your business is crucial for driving sales, fostering consumer loyalty, and standing out in any industry, and more so for emerging and rapidly evolving sectors such as...more

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