Opinion ID: 151187
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Strength of the Owner's Mark

Text: In analyzing the first factor, we have recognized a strong and distinctive trademark is entitled to greater protection than a weak or commonplace one. Id. (citing SquirtCo. v. Seven-Up Co., 628 F.2d 1086, 1091 (8th Cir.1980)). Marks may be characterized in four categories: generic, descriptive, suggestive, or arbitrary or fanciful. Id. at 1004. On this spectrum, an arbitrary or fanciful mark is entitled to the highest level of protection, while a generic mark is afforded no trademark protection. Duluth News-Tribune, a Div. of Nw. Publ'n, Inc. v. Mesabi Pub. Co., 84 F.3d 1093, 1096 (8th Cir.1996). In this case, the district court determined Sensient was a fanciful word coined to function as a trademark for the company. As a result, the court acknowledged Sensient's mark was entitled to the broadest protection. However, the court also concluded Sensient could not claim an exclusive right to the Flavors portion of the Sensient Flavors name because Flavors is a generic term. Accordingly, the court determined only the Sensient name was entitled to protection. On appeal, Sensient agrees Flavors alone is not protectable, but it argues the Sensient Flavors mark must be construed as a whole. SensoryEffects asserts courts have routinely refused to protect generic portions of a trademark. In making its determination, the district court noted SensoryEffects did not object to its finding that the Sensient name was fanciful. Generally, we do not consider arguments raised for the first time on appeal and a party may not assert arguments not presented to the district court. Cole v. Intern. Union, United Auto., Aerospace & Agr. Implement Workers of Am., 533 F.3d 932, 936 (8th Cir.2008). In light of SensoryEffects' concession before the district court on this point, we need not consider its arguments on appeal challenging the strength of Sensient Flavors' name. Similarly, Sensient's argument questioning whether the district court properly analyzed its mark is largely irrelevant because the court ultimately found in favor of Sensient on the first factor. More importantly, the district court proceeded to compare the composite Sensient Flavors mark to the SensoryEffects mark later in its analysis, as demonstrated below. See, e.g., Sensient Tech. Corp. v. SensoryEffects Flavor Co., 636 F.Supp.2d 891, 900 (E.D.Mo.2009) (SensoryEffects Flavor Systems sounds different than Sensient Flavors.). Thus, the district court did not err in concluding the first factor favors Sensient.