Can you trademark a location name?
You can register a trademark on a geographical location. And there can be good reasons for choosing a place name as part of your trademark: it may suggest a quality associated with that place, or suggest an emotion or activity you want associated with your trademark.
Can a geographical name be used as a trademark?
The U.S. Trademark Act provides that geographic names or signs–which otherwise would be considered primarily geographically descriptive and therefore unregistrable as trademarks or collective marks without a showing of acquired distinctiveness in the United States–can be registered as certification marks.
Can you trademark a city name UK?
Public policy leans against giving trade mark protection to place names and towards keeping them free for all to use. A place name can nevertheless be protected if it is sufficiently distinctive in relation to the relevant goods or services.
Are location names copyrighted?
Short answer: No. Cities cannot trademark their name; it’s generally considered a part of the public domain (depending on your regional laws). People are free to use any city’s name in an original t-shirt design featuring a city’s name.
Can you trademark a map?
Yes, you can trademark a map. If you create a logo that is comprised of a map or an outline of a geographic area, and if you use the logo to sell or promote your products or services, then you may trademark the logo.
What trademark means?
A trademark is generally a word, phrase, symbol, or design, or a combination thereof, that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others. • A service mark is the same as a trademark, except that it identifies and distinguishes the source of a service rather than goods.
What does a trademark protect?
A trademark or service mark promotes and protects your brand name, while a registered and protected domain name provides you protection against any unauthorized use of your domain name by any person or entity.
Can someone trademark my domain name?
You can attempt to trademark your domain name or blog. It does have to meet several standards in order to qualify for trademark protection. Sometimes it may be more necessary than others. Someone could possibly use a very similar domain name selling the same products and piggyback off your marketing efforts.
Is a domain name a trademark?
A domain name can also function as a trademark, so long as the domain name is used in such a way that it also identifies the source of particular goods and services. Let’s use TMARKEY.COM as an example. First, we know it functions as a domain name or web address.
What names Cannot be trademarked?
What Can’t Be Trademarked?
- Proper names or likenesses without consent from the person.
- Generic terms, phrases, or the like.
- Government symbols or insignia.
- Vulgar or disparaging words or phrases.
- The likeness of a U.S. President, former or current.
- Immoral, deceptive, or scandalous words or symbols.
- Sounds or short motifs.
Can you copyright a recipe?
A mere listing of ingredients is not protected under copyright law. However, where a recipe or formula is accompanied by substantial literary expression in the form of an explanation or directions, or when there is a collection of recipes as in a cookbook, there may be a basis for copyright protection.
Do I have to trademark my logo?
You should consider registering Trademarks to protect any features that you use to identify your brand. Many businesses register a number of Trademarks, for example, one to protect their brand name, another to protect their logo and another one to protect a tagline.