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You Can Now Trademark a Generic Word as Part of an Internet Domain Name
In a major reversal of intellectual property law, the U.S. Supreme Court says a generic word plus a domain such as “.com” is eligible for Federal trademark protection. Why this is a big deal for the Internet.
As reported by Bloomberg Law, on June 30, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a massive change to how Intellectual Property (IP) law works with a landmark decision on trademarks and Internet domain names.
In one of the first Supreme Court cases to be heard remotely in the post-COVID-19 era, a travel company won eligibility to register its name, Booking.com, for Federal trademark protection in opposition to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
At issue for the Court is whether the combination of a generic word “booking” with “.com” is eligible for Federal trademark protection. In opposition, the USPTO asserts that “generic marks are…
