Transcript Document 7717243

Trademark and Unfair Comp.
Boston College Law School
October 14, 2004
Abandonment
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. CBS
870 F.2d 40 (2d Cir. 1989)
Trademark / Source Nexus
Strong
Weak
Arbitrary
Descriptive
Generic
(E.g. NIKE)
(E.g. ALL BRAN)
(E.g. aspirin)
Source
Source
Source
(E.g. Nike, Inc.)
(E.g. Kellogg, Inc.)
(E.g. Bayer, Inc.)
None
Abandonment
Nonuse
Trademark
Trademark
Trademark
(Amos & Andy)
(Amos & Andy)
(Amos & Andy)
Source
Source
Source
(CBS, Inc.)
(CBS, Inc.)
(CBS, Inc.)
Sports Teams
Abandonment
Assignment in Gross
Trademark
Trademark
(HEARTLAND)
(HEARTLAND)
Source
(Sears, Inc.)
?
?
Source
(Clark &
Freeman Corp.)
Abandonment
Naked Licensing
Trademark
Trademark
(DA VINCI)
(DA VINCI)
Licensee
(Renaissance)
?
Source
Source
(Barcamerica)
(Barcamerica)
Abandonment
Failure to Police
Trademark
Trademark
Trademark
(BADGER)
(BADGER)
(BADGER)
Source
Source
Source
(U.W.)
(U.W.)
(U.W.)
Administrative Details
• Next Assignment
– VI.A.1 - Likelihood of Confusion – Basic
Factors