Trademark Dictionary
A descriptive trademark is a type of trademark that uses words or phrases that describe the characteristics or qualities of the goods or services being offered, such as the ingredients, quality, purpose, or geographic origin. Descriptive trademarks are generally considered to be weak and are more difficult to protect than other types of trademarks.
Unlike fanciful or arbitrary trademarks, which are inherently distinctive and have no connection to the goods or services being offered, descriptive trademarks are more likely to be used by competitors to describe their own goods or services. This can make it difficult for the trademark owner to prevent others from using similar descriptive terms to describe their own products.To obtain trademark protection for a suggestive trademark, the trademark owner must demonstrate that the trademark has acquired a secondary meaning or distinctiveness in the minds of consumers. This means that the trademark must be associated with the specific goods or services of the trademark owner and not just suggest a characteristic or quality of the product.
Moët & Chandon, Dom Pérignon, Laurent-Perrier and other world-class producers of champagne can no longer use this term to label their products in Russia. The new law passed on 2 July 2021 has caused a considerable upheaval among champagne producers but also consumers. Our legal team has taken a closer look into this dynamics of using geographical indicators.
In May 2017, Amazon introduced its Brand Registry with the goal of enhancing the protection and performance of brands selling on Amazon. Registered trademark is one of the key requirements for enrolling in this program. This article reviews the main benefits as well as provides an overview of the trademark registration process necessary to benefit from the advantages offered as part of Amazon Brand Registry.
Ford joins the ranks of internationally renowned companies that have made an entry into the NFT and Web3.0 space with new trademark registrations. The American car company filed 19 new trademark applications to cover virtual automobiles and online retail services. As more companies are getting involved with NFT projects, unique IP concerns are expected to follow soon.
