MacRumors berichtet, dass Trademark Trial and Appeal Board des United States Patent and Trademark Office Apples Gesuch für den Begriff „Multi-touch” eine Schutzmarke zu registrieren, abgelehnt hat. Apple hat die Schutzmarke ursprünglich am 8. Januar 2007, derselbe Tag an dem das iPhone vorgestellt wurde, angewandt. Der Antrag wurde vom einem Rechtsanwalt für die USPTO abgelehnt. Apple hat dann an Trademark Trial and Appeal Board appelliert.
Apple versucht auch den sehr allgemeinen Begriff „App Store” zu registrieren und hat andere Firmen, einschließlich Amazon für den Begriff, bedroht und verklagt. Microsoft, HTC, Nokia, Amazon und Sony haben schon Schritte ergriffen, um den Antrag abzulehnen.
In der Entscheidung die Registrierung abzulehnen, sagte der Vorstand:
Simply put, the record contains little direct or circumstantial evidence that purchasers of applicant’s goods view MULTI-TOUCH as a distinctive source indicator for applicant’s goods.Clearly, MULTI-TOUCH is not the primary mark for applicant’s goods, and it is not apparent from the material submitted by applicant to what extent MULTI-TOUCH has made an impression on purchasers as a source indicator for applicant’s goods.
Thus, in view of the foregoing, and given the highly descriptive nature of the designation MULTI-TOUCH, we would need substantially more evidence (especially in the form of direct evidence from customers) than what applicant has submitted in order to find that the designation has become distinctive of applicant’s services.
In re Lens.com Inc.,83 USPQ2d 1444 (TTAB 2007). Again, simply because the applied-for term has been used in association with a highly successful product does not mean the term has acquired distinctiveness.
(Bild: iClarified)