Trademark and Unfair Comp.

Boston College Law School

February 18, 2009

Genericism, Abandonment

Bayer v. United Drug272 F. 505 (S.D.N.Y. 1921) (Hand,J.)

Drug Names

• Advil (ibuprofen)• Zantac (ranitidine)• Viagra (sildenafil)• Prozac (fluoxetine)

Other Marks

• Generic– Thermos

– Escalator

– Trampoline

– Cellophane

– Nylon

– Yo-Yo

• Generic?– Velcro

– Post-It Notes

– Band-Aid

– Plexiglas

– Kleenex

– Frisbee

– Realtor

Policy Considerations

Distinctiveness

Generic Descriptive Suggestive Arbitrary

Low

HighPotential forConfusion

Harm toCompetition

UnprotectibleSecondaryMeaning Protectible

Policing Your Mark

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?”

AOL v. AT&T243 F.3d 812 (4th Cir. 2001)

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

1-800-GENERIC

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

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.

Abandonment

• Types of abandonment– Non-Use– Assignment in Gross– Naked Licensing– Failure to Police

Silverman v. CBS870 F.2d 40 (2d Cir. 1989)

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

Abandonment

Nonuse

Trademark(Amos & Andy)

Source(CBS, Inc.)

Trademark(Amos & Andy)

Source(CBS, Inc.)

Trademark(Amos & Andy)

Source(CBS, Inc.)

Sports Teams

Abandonment

Trademark(HEARTLAND)

Source(Sears, Inc.)

Assignment in Gross

Trademark(HEARTLAND)

Source(Clark &

Freeman Corp.)?

?

Abandonment

Trademark(DA VINCI)

Source(Barcamerica)

Naked Licensing

Trademark(DA VINCI)

Source(Barcamerica)

Licensee(Renaissance)

?

Abandonment

Failure to Police

Trademark(BADGER)

Source(U.W.)

Trademark(BADGER)

Source(U.W.)

Trademark(BADGER)

Source(U.W.)

Administrative Details

• Next Assignment– VI.A.1 & 2 – Likelihood of Confusion