Submission + - Airline Says It Owns The Word "Northwest" 2
Freshly Exhumed writes: "Northwest® Airlines, the major airline whose market branding is being phased out after it was acquired by Delta, charges that it has exclusive ownership of the common, geographically descriptive term northwest." The Minnesota-based airline is going after the operator of a small, Spokane Washington web site that provides tourist information for visitors to the Pacific Northwest. From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer: '[the site's owner] said he has so far spent more than $4,000 in the past few months to defend his site, and he's looking at thousands more going forward as he faces battles in the U.S., U.K., and Australia.' Presumably the Government of Canada will be the next Northwest® target victim, what with their use of the term to name some of their Territories since 1870. I don't suppose Northwest® can sue the world's cartographers, geocachers, boy scouts, etc. can they?"
Service Mark #2264931 (Score:2)
They do own the word NORTHWEST, when stylized ( http://www.logo-design99.com/nwa_logo2.gif [logo-design99.com] ) in the colors red, gray, blue and white pertaining to air transportation and cargo. It's on file with the PTO. Service Mark serial number 75511044, registration number 2264931. http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=searchss&state=4002:7i146q.1.1 [uspto.gov]
As it appears on the Go Northwest travel guide web site in Cyan and Blue with a totally different styling? No. No, they don't. And any competent attorney should have been
The ownership of basic words and generic terms (Score:1)