News & Analysis as of

Trademark Registration Functionality

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

[Webinar] Trademark Trends: A Mid-Year Review - July 17th, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm EDT

Join Sterne Kessler’s Global Trademark & Brand Protection team for our mid-year review webinar, when we will take a closer look at the latest developments in trademark law. From recent court decisions to industry-trends, our...more

McDermott Will & Emery

Sole Searching: Trade Dress Hopes Booted as Functional, Nondistinctive

McDermott Will & Emery on

The US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court’s summary judgment grant in a trademark dispute, finding that the district court did not err in concluding that a subset of design elements lacked...more

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

MarkIt to Market® - May 2023

Thank you for reading the May 2023 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter. This month, we discuss Taco Bell's attempt to cancel two TACO TUESDAY trademark registrations, and a precedential TTAB decision...more

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

MarkIt to Market® - May 2023: TACO TUESDAY – Generic Term, Failure to Function, or BOTH

Taco Bell’s recent efforts to liberate the phrase “Taco Tuesday” presents an opportunity to review the distinctions between marks that are generic and those that fail to function as a trademark....more

Linda Liu & Partners

A Brief Analysis of the Registration and Judicial Protection of Three-dimensional Trademarks in China

Linda Liu & Partners on

Since Article 8 of the Trademark Law of China (2001) stipulates that a three-dimensional sign can be filed for registration as a trademark, three-dimensional sign trademarks (also known as the “three-dimensional trademarks”)...more

Fox Rothschild LLP

TTAB Cancels Registration For Gun Barrel Trade Dress On Grounds Of Functionality

Fox Rothschild LLP on

On May 20, 2021, the TTAB issued a lengthy and comprehensive precedential opinion canceling Proof Research, Inc.’s registration for the trade dress of a gun barrel (as shown below) on grounds of de jure functionality under...more

McDermott Will & Emery

There’s No Sugarcoating It: Pocky’s Cookie Design Trade Dress Is Functional

Addressing for the second time whether the design of a chocolate-dipped, stick-shaped cookie was eligible for trade dress protection, the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit held again that the product configuration was...more

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

The Functionality Doctrine Remains Strong

The functionality doctrine remains strong. In a recent decision, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board relied on the doctrine of functionality in finding that the product configuration mark at issue was unprotectable under...more

Knobbe Martens

The Crown Jewels: How to Protect Your Jewelry Designs

Knobbe Martens on

Knock-offs and ‘copycat’ designs are nothing new to the fashion world. The rising demand for “fast fashion” and bargain hunting alike make knock-offs particularly attractive to the consumer’s insatiable appetite. This trend...more

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Rubik’s Cube Shape Mark Falls on Functionality in the EU

Dorsey & Whitney LLP on

A trademark registration for the shape of a product (usually in the form of a drawing or 3D illustration) can be useful, particularly where the product is recognised predominantly by its distinctive visual appearance....more

Snell & Wilmer

Considerations When Using Descriptive or Generic Trademark Terms

Snell & Wilmer on

I. Adding Distinctive Terms or Logos to a Descriptive or Generic Term Will Not Protect the Descriptive or Generic Term. A descriptive trademark1 is one that immediately brings to mind a use, purpose, function,...more

Genova Burns LLC

Bakery's Apple Pie Design is Functional and Inelgible for Trademark Protection, Third Circuit Affirms

Genova Burns LLC on

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court’s determination that the key element of a gourmet bakery’s registered pastry design was functional, and therefore ineligible for trademark protection, in Sweet...more

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