Opinion ID: 2051720
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Strength of the COMMERCIAL marks.

Text: The strength of a mark measures the degree of distinctiveness for the purpose of determining the likelihood of confusion resulting from another's use of a similar mark. Id. § 21 cmt. i. The more distinctive a mark is, the stronger it is, and the greater the likelihood of confusion and scope of protection. See Madison Reprographics, 552 N.W.2d at 446. Thus, fanciful or arbitrary marks, such as the trademark EXXON, are considered strong marks because they have a high degree of distinctiveness and are thus protected to a greater extent than are weak or descriptive designations that are less distinctive. See Restatement § 21 cmt. i. Unlike trademarks that are considered suggestive or arbitrary/fanciful, a descriptive mark is not inherently distinctive and thus is not considered to be a strong mark. See id. § 13 cmt. e. As noted above, we conclude that plaintiff has acquired secondary meaning with respect to the mark COMMERCIAL. While we believe that the name COMMERCIAL is sufficiently distinctive such that consumers in the eight-county area would identify the mark with banking goods and services provided by plaintiff, we do not believe that the mark is so strong or distinctive that defendant's use of the name COMMERCIAL FEDERAL is likely to cause confusion among consumers.