In the part I of our article for 10 Strangest Trademarks Ever, we saw some unusual trademarks such as one filed for the name of a celebrity'schild, the sound of opening and closing a lighter. This part is in continuation of such strange trademarks which have been applied around the world.
6. The word 'Home'
US TM Registration No.-4989020
Owner- Facebook, Inc.
[Image source- Facebook]
We all use the word home at least hundreds of times in a day but have you ever wondered that it can be trademark? Neither did we!But, yes it is true that the word 'HOME' has been registered by our very own Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook, Inc. The trademark is registered under three different classes, i.e., 9, 35 and 38 of US Patent and Trademark office. Facebook is very particular about its trademark and has not hesitated to even trademark the word 'Face' in Facebook.
7. Lamborghini upward door-opening motion
US TM Registration No.- 2793439
Owner- AUTOMOBILI LAMBORGHINI S.P.A.
[Image source- Internet]
Lamborghini- is one of the most popular luxury car. It is for sure a dream car for majority of youth. But why do we dream about having such luxurious cars when we can buy any car within a normal budget? Perhaps, the answer lies in the unique features and the looks.Interestingly, Lamborghini car's doors open in a unique way rising upwards and not outwards like usual cars. This upward door opening motion is one of the unique features of Lamborghini and therefore it is registered by the automobile company under the class 12 with a graphic representation of the door opening motion. This signature upward door opening motion is fancied by many and hence getting it registered was a smart move, as the company continue to earn trillions over it.
8. Tarzan yell
US TM Registration No.- 2210506
Owner- M/S. EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS INC.
[Image source- Internet]
Yes, you read it right! Tarzan, as we all know it, is a famous fictional character portrayed in several cartoons and movies. Tarzan,is a fictional character who lives in the wild and makes a unique signature sound to call his friends. His sound goes like, ahhhhh ah ahahahhhhhh, better to just hear it right away becausewords cannot describe his jungle yell enough. This famous jungle yell of Tarzan has been trademarked in the US and many other countries including India under multiple classes. In the US, this trademark has been categorized as 'Sensory mark'. Specifically, it's a sound mark registered with a description of spectrogram. The trademark has been registered under various jurisdictions such as Canada and Australia as well.
9. Colour of Tiffany Blue Packaging
US TM Registration no.- 4177892
Owner- Tiffany (NJ) LLC
[Image source- www.tiffany.com]
Have you ever shopped some jewelry from the Tiffany brand or bought any gifts from there for your loved ones? If you haven't then you probably go and check out their stores to have a look at this beautiful blue color which they used for jewelry boxes and packaging. This is strange mark as the distinctive colour blue has been claimed as a feature of the trademark. Therefore, thiscolour is not just pretty but it cannot be copied by any other brands for their packaging because it's registered as a trademark.The colour was initially registered under four classes, i.e., class 20, 16, 18 and 25 but during the renewal period, the company renewed only for class 20.
10. The New York Stock Exchange bell ring
US TM Registration no.- 2741129
Owner- NYSE Group, Inc.
[Image source- Internet]
Stock market bullswould certainly know that ringing bell in the New York Stock Exchange or NYSE signals the opening or closing of the day for trading. Surprisingly, the NYSE group has registered the sound of this bell in the USPTO office under class 36 which indicates conducting of services in the securities exchange or stock market. The bell was first used in the year 1902 and while applying for it as a trademark in 2001, the NYSE group has also given a description of the sound of the bell. The mark has been registered as a sensory mark in the US. Next time you visit the great city New York, make sure to be near the building of NYSE at the start or end of market day, to hear the opening or closing bell to ring!
You must have observed that, sometimes the simplest and the weirdest things can also be registered as a trademark; it's just that you should try for it and you should try harder to get it registered, who knows if it gets registered!
Conclusion-
Uniqueness of a trademark can lie in its name, representation of the brand name, logo, color, feature, sound and almost every other aspect which can be sensed. In today's era of competition and globalization all brands are required to up their game by protecting their identity to the fullest with maximum reach. We covered 10 such strangest trademarks in two-parts of our article (Part I and Part II). Which is the strangest trademark you know?
Liked our article? You may also like to read our related blogs to understand more-
- Why Should you file for Trademarks?- https://photonlegal.com/why-should-you-file-for-trademarks/
- Can Hashtags be Trademarked?-https://photonlegal.com/can-hashtags-be-trademarked/
- Madrid Application- A one-stop solution for International Registration of Trademarks- https://photonlegal.com/madrid-application-a-one-stop-solution-for-international-registration-of-trademarks/
- Artistic Trademarks-https://photonlegal.com/artistic-trademarks/
- What are the Rights of a Singer?-https://photonlegal.com/what-are-the-rights-of-a-singer/
- The Reality of Indian Music Industry- https://photonlegal.com/the-reality-of-indian-music-industry/
Originally published November 24, 2021
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
