Lanham Act ~ 45 Sections

Important ones to know:

LanhamAct45UniqueProducts
14oftheLanhamActdescribesgroundsforcancellationofcertificationmarkunder(5)

LanhamActSectionsPartII

1. 45CollectiveMarkstrademarksorservicemarks
a. RelatedRestatement:9
b. FoundunderProtectableMarksSection/TypesofMarks(115)
2. 14GroundsforCancellingMarks
a. FoundunderProtectableMarksSection/TypesofMarks(116)
3. 2Trademarksregistrableontheprincipalregister
a. FoundunderNonwordmarks
4. 43(a)FalsedesignationsofOriginandfalsedescriptionsForbidden
a. Toprevailunder43(a)oftheLanhamAct,aplaintiffmustshowthatithasa
valid,protectabletrademarkandthatthedefendantsuseofacolorableimitation
ofthetrademarkislikelytocauseconfusionamongconsumers.[3]
b. FoundUnderTradeDressSection/TwoPesosCase470472
5. 45ConstructionandDefinitions
a. FoundunderTradeDressSection/TwoPesosCase4701
6. 33Registrationonprincipalregisterasevidenceofexclusiverighttousemark;
defenses
a. (b)(8)Functionalitydefense
b. FoundunderFunctionalitySection/FranekCase(573)

LanhamActSectionsPartIII
1. Useincommerce(thisisinterpretedbroadly)Section1(a)and45
LanhamAct1(a):Theownerofatrademarkusedincommercemayrequest
registrationofitstrademark...Section1(a)oftheLanhamAct,15U.S.C.
1051(a)providesforfilingapplicationsformarksthathavebeenusedincommerce
asfollowsp.1778
1(b)referstointenttouseBonaFideIntentionp.178
2. LanhamAct45:Thetermuseincommercemeansthebonafideuseofamark
intheordinarycourseoftrade,andnotmademerelytoreservearightinamark.
Mereadoptionofamarkwithoutbonafideusewillnotcreatetrademarkrights.
(BlueBell)
3. 44:internationalConventions;registerofmarks
a. FoundunderRegistrationse

LanhamAct43(c)

Subjecttotheprinciplesofequity,theownerofafamousmarkthatisdistinctive,inherentlyorthrough
acquireddistinctiveness,shallbeentitledtoaninjunctionagainstanotherpersonwho,atanytimeafterthe
ownersmarkhasbecomefamous,commencesuseofamarkortradenameincommercethatislikelytocause
dilutionbyblurringordilutionbytarnishmentofthefamousmark,regardlessofthepresenceorabsenceof
actualorlikelyconfusion,ofcompetition,orofactualeconomicinjury.
LanhamAct43(c):Fame
Forpurposesofparagraph(1),amarkisfamousifitiswidelyrecognizedbythegeneralconsumingpublicof
theUnitedStatesasadesignationofsourceofthegoodsorservicesofthemarksowner.
Indeterminingwhetheramarkpossessestherequisitedegreeofrecognition,thecourtmayconsiderallrelevan
factors,includingthefollowing:
(i)Theduration,extent,andgeographicreachofadvertisingandpublicityofthemark,whether
advertisedorpublicizedbytheownerorthirdparties.
(ii)Theamount,volume,andgeographicextentofsalesofgoodsorservicesofferedunderthemark.
(iii)Theextentofactualrecognitionofthemark.
(iv)WhetherthemarkwasregisteredundertheActofMarch3,1881,ortheActofFebruary20,1905,
ontheprincipalregister.

LanhamAct43(c):Tarnishment
Forpurposesofparagraph(1),dilutionbytarnishmentisassociationarisingfromthesimilarity
betweenamarkortradenameandafamousmarkthatharmsthereputationofthefamousmark.[no
talkingaboutreputationofcompany,butreputationofmarkitself]

a. Incontestability&ClassicFairUse

DefensesIncontestability&ClassicFairUse

LanhamAct15LimitsonIncontestability
ThegroundsinLanhamAct14asbasesforcancellingamarkcanalsobeinvoked
asdefensestoinfringementclaims.Thesegroundsinclude,fraud,abandonment,
genericismandfunctionality.Anymark,includingincontestableones,atanytime
maybecancelledifitisabandonedorfunctional,wasobtainedfraudulently,or
becomesgeneric.(5412)
33ofLanhamActprovidesthataregistrationisprimafacieevidenceofthe
registrantsrighttoexclusiveuseoftheregisteredmarkinconnectionwiththegoods
orservicescoveredbytheregistrationsubjecttolegalandequitabledefenses,
includingthosesetforthin33(b).Anincontestableregistrationisconclusiveofthe
ownersexclusiverighttouseofthemarks,butincontestabilityonlyappliestothe
goods/servicescoveredbytheincontestableregistration.(542)
33(b)lists9exceptionstoaregisteredmarksincontestablestatusasacquiredunder
15

Incontestability&ClassicFairUse
15oftheLanhamActprovidesthestatuteforincontestability
Incontestableregistrationisconclusiveofownersexclusiverighttousethemarkbut
onlyappliestogoods/servicescoveredbytheregistration
33(b)lists9defensesthatlimits15incontestablestatus
33(b)defensesinclude:

FraudulentacquisitionofTMregistrationorofincontestablerighttousethemark
Abandonmentofthemark
Useofthemarktomisrepresentsource
UseofmarkinadescriptivesenseotherthanasaTM(fairusedefense)
Limitedterritorymark
- Dmaynotextendterritorybutmayexpandbusinesswithinhisboundaries
PriorregistrationbyD
Useofthemarktoviolateantitrust
- Rarelysuccessfulasadefense
Functionality
Equitableprinciples
o Makeslaches,estoppel,andacquiescenceapplicabledefenses

DEFENSES: 14 and 33
43(c) as well