Source: http://www.uspto.gov/ip/global/trademarks/ir_tm_marks.jsp
Timestamp: 2013-05-26 08:20:59
Document Index: 267775060

Matched Legal Cases: ['§43', '§43', '§44', '§44', '§2', '§1125', '§1125', '§1126', '§1052']

Office of Policy and External Affairs: Well-known Marks
The United States implements these standards by protecting registered as well as unregistered well-known marks, of both domestic and foreign origin, from use and/or registration by unauthorized parties through the operation of Lanham Act §43(a), §43(c), §44(b) and §44(h) and under the Lanham Act §2(a) and 2(d). (15 U.S.C., §1125(a), §1125(c), §1126(b) and (h), and §1052(a) and (d)). U.S. federal law protects a mark against infringement or registration by another party’s similar mark for goods or services that are the same, similar, related or even unrelated if there is a likelihood of confusion, whether or not the senior mark is registered.
In addition to these grounds, in certain cases the owner of a well-known mark that rises to the level of being “famous” may bring an action against another use of the mark in U.S. federal courts or may seek to oppose or cancel another’s application or registration for the mark on the grounds of dilution. Dilution is the lessening of the capacity of a famous mark to uniquely distinguish its goods, either by tarnishing (weakening through unsavory associations) or blurring (an association arising from the similarity between a mark and a famous mark) its capacity to distinguish. However, dilution may only be applied in cases where a party’s well-known mark is “famous,” such that it is widely known among the U.S. consuming public. For more information on well-known marks, please feel free to contact the Office of International Relations at (571) 272-9300.
Last Modified: 2/20/2013 10:37:18 AM