Can the USPTO reject my specimen?

Tech-giant formerly known as Facebook announced a rebrand and a change of its name to Meta. Following that, there were many discussions about whether a company as big as Facebook could even end up holding a complete monopoly over such generic word given hundreds of already existing trademarks in the same field of services. The results of these disputes will be decisive for the future of Meta.

Adversity gives rise to greatness. The very idea to launch Natural Health Store came from facing the risk of redundancy. Nowadays, this family-owned business has created brand recognition worth protecting.

Acknowledging the full extent of brand infringement, FC Liverpool has attempted to register a trademark for the word Liverpool in an attempt to extend its scope of brand protection. These efforts have been unsuccessful following a heated public debate, with the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) rejecting the application due to the geographical significance of the city of Liverpool. Yet, Chelsea FC and Tottenham Hotspur represent examples of football clubs that have succeeded in their efforts to register trademarks for the words Chelsea and Tottenham. This viewpoint explores the seemingly subtle, yet significant, differences in these cases and explores the wider implications for brand protection.