Intellectual Property

Trademark Law

Fall 2009

William Fisher

Abbreviations:

Casebook = Jane Ginsburg, Jessica Litman, and Mary Kevlin, Trademark and Unfair Competition Law (Foundation Press, 4th ed. 2007) (available for purchase at the Harvard Coop or through Amazon.com)
Supplement = 2009 Case Supplement and Statutory Appendix to the Casebook (available for purchase at the Harvard Coop or through Amazon.com)
M = multilithed materials available in the Distribution Center
LA = Lanham Act

Distinctiveness (September 2)

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. v. Hunting World, 537 F.2d 4 (CA2 1976) [Casebook 78-81]
Note on Technical Trademarks [Casebook 81-82]
In re Quik-Print Copy Shops, 616 F.2d 523 (CCPA 1980) [Casebook 82-84]
In re Chippendales USA, 90 USPQ2d 1535 (TTAB 2009) [Supplement 9-11]
Labrador Software v. Lycos, 32 F.Supp.2d 31 (D.Mass. 1999) [Casebook 85-86]
American Waltham Watch v. United States Watch, 173 Mass. 85 (1899) [Casebook 87-89]
International Kennel Club of Chicago v. Mighty Star, 846 F.2d 1079 (CA7 1988) [Casebook 89-95]
Restatement (Third) of Unfair Competition §13 [Casebook 95-96]
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame v. Gentile Productions, 134 F.3d 749 (CA6 1998) [Casebook 96-103]
Bill Marsh, "Warmer, Fuzzier: The Refreshed Logo," New York Times, May 31, 2009 [M 1-2]
Grace Bradberry, "Branded for Life," The Times (London), Nov. 20, 1997 [M 3-4]

Commentary

Cohen, "Transcendental Nonsense and the Functional Approach," 35 Colum. L. Rev. 809, 814-17 (1935) [M 5-7]

William Landes & Richard Posner, "Trademark Law: An Economic Perspective," 30 Journal of Law and Economics 265, 265-75 (1987) [M 8-18] (The entire article is included in the course materials. For now, read only pages 265-75; we will return to other sections of it later in the course.]

What May and May Not be Protected (September 21)

Note on Slogans [Casebook 51-52]

LA §2(c) [Casebook 230]

Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure §1206 [Casebook 230-32]

LA §2(e)(4) [Casebook 260]

Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure §1211 [Casebook 260]

In re Quadrillion Publishing, 2000 WL 1195470 (2000) [Casebook 260-63]

LA §§2, 45 [Casebook 54]

Note on Services [Casebook 54-55]

LA §§4, 45, 14(5) [Casebook 55-56]

Note on Collective and Certification Marks [Casebook 56-58]

Note on Geographic Indications [Casebook 59]

Justin Hughes, "Champagne, Feta and Bourbon," 56 Hastings L.J. 299 (2006) [Casebook 59-62]

"Masquerading as Champagne," New Yorker Magazine, October 22, 2007 [M II-___]

Notes on TRIPS 23(1) [Casebook 62]

Qualitex v. Jacobson Products Co., Inc., 514 U.S. 159 (1995) [Casebook 63-71]

Note on Colors [Casebook 72-73]

Note on Smells, Tastes, Sounds, and Characters [Casebook 73-76]

LA §2(a) [Casebook 203]

In re Squaw Valley Development Company, 80 USPQ 2d 1264 (TTAB 2006) [Casebook 210-16]

"Rights to Wrongs," New York Times, July 6, 1997 [M ___]

In re ALP of South Beach, 79 USPQ2d 1009 [Casebook 217-23]

Note on Deceptively Misdescriptive Marks [Casebook 223]

Hornby v. TJX Companies, 87 USPQ2d 1411 (TTAB 2008) [Supplement 44-49]

Nutraweet Co. v. K&S Foods, 4 USPQ2d 1964 (TTAB 1987) [Casebook 232-35]

Note on Oppositions and Cancellations on the basis of Dilution [Casebook 247-48]

LA §2(e), 2(f) [Casebook 248]

In re California Innovations, 329 F.3d 1334 (CAFC 2003) [Casebook 252-58]

In re Howard Leight Industries, 80 USPQ2d 1507 (TTAB 2006) [Casebook 265-71]

Commentary

Alex Kozinski, "Trademarks Unplugged," 68 N.Y.U. L. Rev. 960 (1993) [M ____]

Acquisition of Rights (September 28)

LA §45 [Casebook 122]
Bell v. Streetwise Records, Ltd., 640 F.Supp. 575 (D.Mass 1986) [Casebook 105-09]
Procter &Gamble Company v. Johnson & Johnson, Inc., 485 F. Supp. 1185 (S.D.N.Y.), aff'd, 636 F. 2d 1203 (2d Cir. 1980) [Casebook 112-21]
Maryland Stadium Authority v. Becker, 806 F. Supp. 1236 (D.Md. 1992), aff'd, 36 F.3d 1093 (4th Cir. 1994) [Casebook 126-30]
Blue Bell, Inc. v. Farah Manufacturing Co., 508 F.2d 1260 (5th Cir. 1975) [Casebook 140-46]
ITC Limited v. Punchgini, 880 N.E.2d 852 (NY 2007) [Supplement 24-31]
ITC Limited v. Punchgini, 518 F.3d 159 (CA2 2008) [Supplement 31-34]
United Drug Co. v. Theordore Rectanus Co., 248 U.S. 90 (1918) [Casebook 158-63]
Thrifty Rent-A-Car System v. Thrift Cars, Inc., 831 F.2d 1177 (1st Cir. 1987) [Casebook 163-68]
Dawn Donut Co. v. Hart's Food Stores, Inc., 267 F.2d 358 (2d Cir. 1959) [Casebook 168-69]
Emergency One v. American Fire Eagle Engine, 332 F.3d 264 (4th Cir. 2003) [Casebook 169-70]

Loss of Rights (October 5)

LA §45 [Casebook 305-06]
Bayer Co. v. United Drug Co., 272 F. 505 (S.D.N.Y. 1921) [Casebood 274-77]
Note on Improper Use [Casebook 277-78]
Note on Protecting Trademarks against Genericism [Casebook 278-84]
Note on "De Facto Secondary Meaning" [Casebook 290-91]
America Online Inc. v. AT&T Corp., 243 F.3d 812 (4th Cir. 2001) [Casebook 291-99]
Silverman v. CBS, Inc., 870 F.2d 40 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, 492 U.S. 907 (1989) [Casebook 306-11]
"The Song Is Ended (But the Melody Lingers On)" [Casebook 313-15]
Barcamerica International USA Trust v. Tyfield Importers, Inc., 289 F.3d 589 (9th Cir. 2002) [Casebook 320-25]

Consumer Confusion (October 19)

LA §32(1) [Casebook 332]
Polaroid Corp. v. Polarad Elects., 287 F.2d 492 (CA2 1961) [Casebook 332-35]
Note on Similarity of Sight, Sound, and Meaning [Casebook 335-36]
E. & J. Gallo Winery v. Consorzio del Gallo Nero, 782 F. Sup. 457 (ND Cal. 1991) [Casebook 336-43]
Note on Intent [Casebook 357-58]
Playboy Enterprises v. Netscape Communications, 354 F.3d 1020 (CA9 2004) [Casebook 370-77]
Harlem Wizards Entertainment Basketball v. NBA Properties, 952 F.Supp. 1084 (DNJ 1997) [Casebook 408-11]
DC Comics v. Powers, 465 F.Supp. 843 (SDNY 1978) [Casebook 476-80]
Note on the Meaning of "Origin" [Casebook 480-81]
Hannah Wood, "Fake Brands Shopping Centre Set to Open in China" (January 5, 2009)

Commentary

Dinwoodie & Janis, "Confusion over Use," 99 Iowa L. Rev. ___ (2007) [Casebook 391-92]

Dogan & Lemley, "Trademark and Consumer Search Costs," 41 Houston L. Rev. 777 (2004) [Casebook 392-94]

Thomas R. Lee, et al., "Trademarks, Consumer Psychology, and the Sophisticated Consumer," 57 Emory Law Journal 575, 575-602 (2008)

Trade Dress Infringement (October 26)

Two Pesos v. Taco Cabana, 505 U.S. 763 (1992) [Casebook 481-88]
Wal-Mart Stores v. Samara Brothers, 529 U.S. 205 (2000) [Casebook 489-95]
TrafFix Devices v. Marketing Displays, 532 U.S. 23 (2001) [Casebook 498-504]
Au-Tomotive Gold v. Volkswagen of America, 457 F.3d 1062 (CA9 2006) [Casebook 506-14]
Gibson Guitar Corp. v. Paul Reed Smith Guitars, 423 F.3d 539 (CA6 2005) [Casebook 515-19]
Best Cellars v. Grape Finds at Dupont, 90 F.Supp.2d 431 (SDNY 2000) [Casebook 519-31]

Dilution (November 2)

Mead Data Central v. Toyota, 875 F.2d 1026 (CA2 1989) [Casebook 648-53]
Nabisco, Inc. v. PF Brands, Inc., 191 F.3d 208 (CA2 1999) [M ___]
Ty Inc. v. Perryman, 306 F.2d 509 (CA7 2002) [Casebook 619-23]

Moseley v. Viriginia Secret Catalogue, Inc., 537 U.S. 418 (2003)

LA 43(c) [Casebook 632-33]

Louis Vuitton v. Haute Diggity Dog, 507 F.3d 252 (CA4 2007) [M ____ or Supplement 121-27]

Commentary

Rebecca Tushnet, "Gone In 60 Milliseconds," 86 Texas L. Rev. ___ (2007) [Casebook 623-31]

Mary LaFrance and Gail Cline, "Identical Cousins?: On the Road with Dilution and the Right of Publicity," 24 Santa Clara Computer & High Technology Law Journal 641 (2007) (excerpts)

Barton Beebe, "The Semiotic Analysis of Trademark Law," 51 UCLA L. Rev. 621, 623-26, 684-702 (2004)

Defenses (November 9)

Note on Fraud [Casebook 446]
Medinol Ltd. v. Neuro Vasx, 67 U.S.P.Q. 2d 1205 (T.T.A.B. 2003) [Casebook 446-47]
Standard Knitting v. Toyota, 77 U.S.P.Q.2d 1917 (T.T.A.B. 2006) [Casebook 447-49]
United States Shoe Corp v. Brown Group Inc., 740 F.Supp. 196 (S.D.N.Y.), aff'd, 923 F.2d 844 (2d Cir. 1990) [Casebook 449-53]
KP Permanent Make-Up, Inc. v. Lasting Impression I, Inc., 543 U.S. 111, 125 S.Ct. 542, 160 L.Ed.2d 440 (2004) [Casebook 457-62]
New Kids on the Block v. News America Publishing, 971 F.2d 302 (9th Cir. 1992) [Casebook 462-67]
Pro-Football, Inc. v. Harjo, 565 F.3d 880 (DC Cir. 2009) [Supplement 92-96]
Mutual of Omaha Insurance Co. v. Novak, 836 F.2d 397 (8th Cir. 1987), cert. denied, 488 U.S. 933, 109 S.Ct. 326, 102 L.Ed. 2d 344 (1988) [Casebook 838-43]
Mattel, Inc. v. Universal Music International, 296 F.3d 894 (9th Cir. 2002), cert. denied, 537 U.S. 1171, 123 S.Ct. 993 (2003) [Casebook 859-67]
Parks v. LaFace Records, 329 F.3d 437 (6th Cir. 2003) [Casebook 874-84]
Rochelle Cooper Dreyfuss, Expressive Genericity: Trademarks as Language in the Pepsi Generation, 65 Notre Dame L. Rev. 397-98, 412-17 (1990) [Casebook 823-27]

Advertising (November 16)

Introductory Notes [Casebook 556-57]
Smith v. Chanel, 402 F.2d 562 (CA9 1968) [Casebook 557-61]
Note on "If you like plaintiff" [Casebook 561-62]
LA §43(a)(1)(B) [Casebook 569]
Remarks of Rep. Kastenmeier [Casebook 569-71]
Proctor & Gamble v. Amway, 242 F.3d 539 (CA5 2001) [Casebook 571-76]
Clorox Co. Puerto Rico v. Proctor & Gamble Commercial Co., 228 F.3d 24 (CA1 2000) [Casebook 583-90]
Polar Corp. v. Coca-Cola, 871 F.Supp. 1520 (D.Mass. 1994) [Casebook 592-93]
Coors Brewing Co. v. Anheuser-Busch Co., 802 F.Supp. 965 (SDNY 1992) [Casebook 593-600]

Commentary

Ralph S. Brown, Jr., "Advertising and the Public Interest," 57 Yale L.J. 1165 (1948) [Casebook 29-34]

Domain Names (November 23)

Jonathan Weinberg, ICANN and the Problem of Legitimacy, 50 Duke L.J. 187 (2000) [Casebook 739-42]
Jessica Litman, The DNS Wars, 4 J. Small & Emerging Bus. L. 149 (2000) [Casebook 742-48]
LA §43(d)(1) [Casebook 748-50]
Sporty's Farm L.L.C. v. Sportsman's Market, Inc., 202 F.3d 489 (2d Cir. 2000) [Casebook 750-57]
Lucas Nursery and Landscaping, Inc. v. Grosse, 359 F.3d 806 (6th Cir. 2004) [Casebook 757-60]
Note on Gripe Suits [Casebook 760-62]
Utah Lighthouse Ministry v. Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, 527 F.3d 1045 (CA10 2008) [Supplement 141-44] ]
Note on ICANN [Casebook 775-76]
Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy, (As Approved by ICANN on October 24, 1999) [Casebook 776-80]
Dial-A-Mattress Operating Corp. v. Moakely, WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center Case N. D2005-0471 (July 1, 2005) [Casebook 781-88]
Note on "Sucks" Cases [Casebook 803-04]

Remedies (November 30)

Nova Wines, Inc. v. Adler Fels Winery LLC, 467 F.Supp. 2d 965 (N.D.Cal. 2006) [Casebook 912-16]
Note on Alternate Dispute Resolution [Casebook 917-18]
Home Box Office v. Showtime, 832 F.2d 1311 (2d Cir. 1987) [Casebook 918-22]
Soltex Polymer Corp. v. Fortex Industries, Inc., 832 F.2d 1325 (2d Cir. 1987) [Casebook 922-26]
Taco Cabana Int'l, Inc. v. Two Pesos, Inc., 932 F.2d 1113 (5th Cir. 1991), aff'd, 505 U.S. 763, 112 S.Ct. 2753, 120 L.Ed. 2d 615 (1992) [Casebook 934-37]
Banjo Buddies, Inc. v. Renosky, 399 F.3d 168 (3d Cir. 2005) [Casebook 937-42]
Big O Tire Dealers, Inc. v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber C., 561 F.2d 1365 (10th Cir. 1977) [Casebook 943-45]
LA 42 [Casebook 985]
Note on Good Subject to Seizure [Casebook 985-88]
K-Mart Corp. v. Cartier, Inc., 486 U.S. 281, 108 S.Ct. 1811, 100 L.Ed. 2d 313 (1988) [Casebook 992-96]
Bordeau Bros. v. ITC, 444 F.3d 1317 (CAFC 2006) [Casebook 996-1002]
Intellectual Property Remedial Options [F 500]

Wrap Up (December 7)

No reading assignment
Draft a comment or question pertaining to the themes addressed in the course, and submit it to the Discussion Board prior to midnight on Dec. 6

Verison 1.4

Last modified November 27, 2009

William Fisher

Email: tfisher@law.harvard.edu
Homepage: tfisher.org