Tag archives: generic marks

A Generic Word Combined With “.Com” Can Create A Protectable Trademark

By Felicia Boyd (US) and Andrea Shannon (US) on July 8, 2020 Posted in Trademark

In United States Patent And Trademark Office, Et Al., v. Booking.Com B. V. (No. 19-46, Jun. 30, 2020), the Supreme Court held that the combination of a generic term with “.com”—referred to as a “generic.com term”–could be a protectable trademark. Booking.com, an enterprise that maintains a travel-reservation website by the same name, sought federal registration … Continue reading

When your brand becomes a product descriptor

By Georgina Hey (AU) on February 11, 2016 Posted in Trademark

Beware of the slide into “genericide” When launching a new brand, it is a marketer’s dream to have that brand name on every consumer’s lips, no matter the consequences. However, sometimes this is ultimately to the detriment of the brand. Just ask the owners of the XEROX or BAND-AID brands, which both fell victim to … Continue reading