Perspective
May 29, 2014
How should we define 'disparaging'?
Two weeks ago, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit did something it had never done before: It decided that a trademark was disparaging and therefore could not be registered. By Christine Haight Farley
Two weeks ago, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit did something it had never done before: It decided that a trademark was disparaging and therefore could not be registered. In In re Geller (Fed. Cir. May 13, 2014), the court, in a case of first impression, determined that the mark "Stop the Islamisation of America" disparages Muslims. The mark, which was intended for use with the service of "[p]rovid...
For only $95 a month (the price of 2 article purchases)
Receive unlimited article access and full access to our archives,
Daily Appellate Report, award winning columns, and our
Verdicts and Settlements.
Or
$795 for an entire year!
Or access this article for $45
(Purchase provides 7-day access to this article. Printing, posting or downloading is not allowed.)
Already a subscriber?
Sign In