Trademark Amendments Act of 1999

Summary: Authorizes a court to grant injunctive relief for violations of this Act, as well as damages for willful violations, and an order for delivery and destruction of any articles of the defendant which constitute a willful violation.
Waives sovereign immunity for the Federal Government to grant private citizens and corporate entities the right to bring an action for trademark infringement against the United States, its agencies, and any entities or persons acting for the United States.
Declares that in an action for trade dress infringement, where the matter sought to be protected is not registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the person who asserts trade dress protection has the burden of proving that the trade dress is not functional (that is, not commonly used by similar businesses, and thus eligible for protection).

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Trademark Amendments Act of 1999''.

SEC. 2. DILUTION AS A GROUNDS FOR OPPOSITION AND CANCELLATION.

    (a) Registrable Marks.--Section 2 of the Act entitled ``An Act to 
provide for the registration and protection of trade-marks used in 
commerce, to carry out the provisions of certain international 
conventions, and for other purposes'' (in this Act referred to as the 
``Trademark Act of 1946'') (15 U.S.C. 1052) is amended by adding at the 
end the following flush sentences: ``A mark which when used would cause 
dilution under section 43(c) may be refused registration only pursuant 
to a proceeding brought under section 13. A registration for a mark 
which when used would cause dilution under section 43(c) may be 
canceled pursuant to a proceeding brought under either section 14 or 
section 24.''.
    (b) Opposition.--Section 13(a) of the Trademark Act of 1946 (15 
U.S.C. 1063(a)) is amended in the first sentence by inserting ``, 
including as a result of dilution under section 43(c),'' after 
``principal register''.
    (c) Petitions To Cancel Registrations.--Section 14 of the Trademark 
Act of 1946 (15 U.S.C. 1064) is amended in the matter preceding 
paragraph (1) by inserting ``, including as a result of dilution under 
section 43(c),'' after ``damaged''.
    (d) Cancellation.--Section 24 of the Trademark Act of 1946 (15 
U.S.C. 1092) is amended in the second sentence by inserting ``, 
including as a result of dilution under section 43(c),'' after 
``register''.
    (e) Effective Date and Application.--The amendments made by this 
section shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act and 
shall apply only to any application for registration filed on or after 
January 16, 1996.

SEC. 3. REMEDIES IN CASES OF DILUTION OF FAMOUS MARKS.

    (a) Injunctions.--(1) Section 34(a) of the Trademark Act of 1946 
(15 U.S.C. 1116(a)) is amended in the first sentence by striking 
``section 43(a)'' and inserting ``subsection (a) or (c) of section 
43''.
    (2) Section 43(c)(2) of the Trademark Act of 1946 (15 U.S.C. 
1125(c)(2)) is amended in the first sentence by inserting ``as set 
forth in section 34'' after ``relief''.
    (b) Damages.--Section 35(a) of the Trademark Act of 1946 (15 U.S.C. 
1117(a)) is amended in the first sentence by striking ``or a violation 
under section 43(a),'' and inserting ``a violation under section 43(a), 
or a willful violation under section 43(c),''.
    (c) Destruction of Articles.--Section 36 of the Trademark Act of 
1946 (15 U.S.C. 1118) is amended in the first sentence--
        (1) by striking ``or a violation under section 43(a),'' and 
    inserting ``a violation under section 43(a), or a willful violation 
    under section 43(c),''; and
        (2) by inserting after ``in the case of a violation of section 
    43(a)'' the following: ``or a willful violation under section 
    43(c)''.
SEC. 4. LIABILITY OF GOVERNMENTS FOR TRADEMARK INFRINGEMENT AND 
DILUTION.
    (a) Civil Actions.--Section 32 of the Trademark Act of 1946 (15 
U.S.C. 1114) is amended in the last undesignated paragraph in paragraph 
(1)--
        (1) in the first sentence by inserting after ``includes'' the 
    following: ``the United States, all agencies and instrumentalities 
    thereof, and all individuals, firms, corporations, or other persons 
    acting for the United States and with the authorization and consent 
    of the United States, and''; and
        (2) in the second sentence by striking ``Any'' and inserting 
    ``The United States, all agencies and instrumentalities thereof, 
    and all individuals, firms, corporations, other persons acting for 
    the United States and with the authorization and consent of the 
    United States, and any''.
    (b) Waiver of Sovereign Immunity.--Section 40 of the Trademark Act 
of 1946 (15 U.S.C. 1122) is amended--
        (1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c);
        (2) by striking ``Sec. 40. (a) Any State'' and inserting the 
    following:
    ``Sec. 40. (a) Waiver of Sovereign Immunity by the United States.--
The United States, all agencies and instrumentalities thereof, and all 
individuals, firms, corporations, other persons acting for the United 
States and with the authorization and consent of the United States, 
shall not be immune from suit in Federal or State court by any person, 
including any governmental or nongovernmental entity, for any violation 
under this Act.
    ``(b) Waiver of Sovereign Immunity by States.--Any State''; and
        (3) in the first sentence of subsection (c), as so 
    redesignated--
            (A) by striking ``subsection (a) for a violation described 
        in that subsection'' and inserting ``subsection (a) or (b) for 
        a violation described therein''; and
            (B) by inserting after ``other than'' the following: ``the 
        United States or any agency or instrumentality thereof, or any 
        individual, firm, corporation, or other person acting for the 
        United States and with authorization and consent of the United 
        States, or''.
    (c) Definition.--Section 45 of the Trademark Act of 1946 (15 U.S.C. 
1127) is amended by inserting between the 2 paragraphs relating to the 
definition of ``person'' the following:
    ``The term `person' also includes the United States, any agency or 
instrumentality thereof, or any individual, firm, or corporation acting 
for the United States and with the authorization and consent of the 
United States. The United States, any agency or instrumentality 
thereof, and any individual, firm, or corporation acting for the United 
States and with the authorization and consent of the United States, 
shall be subject to the provisions of this Act in the same manner and 
to the same extent as any nongovernmental entity.''.

SEC. 5. CIVIL ACTIONS FOR TRADE DRESS INFRINGEMENT.

    Section 43(a) of the Trademark Act of 1946 (15 U.S.C. 1125(a)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(3) In a civil action for trade dress infringement under this Act 
for trade dress not registered on the principal register, the person 
who asserts trade dress protection has the burden of proving that the 
matter sought to be protected is not functional.''.

SEC. 6. TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.

    (a) Assignment of Marks.--Section 10 of the Trademark Act of 1946 
(15 U.S.C. 1060) is amended--
        (1) by striking ``subsequent purchase'' in the second to last 
    sentence and inserting ``assignment'';
        (2) in the first sentence by striking ``mark,'' and inserting 
    ``mark.''; and
        (3) in the third sentence by striking the second period at the 
    end.
    (b) Additional Clerical Amendments.--The text and title of the 
Trademark Act of 1946 are amended by striking ``trade-marks'' each 
place it appears and inserting ``trademarks''.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.