Dell’s CLOUD COMPUTING Trademark: Misappropriating a Common Term Used In the Industry or Brilliant, Proactive Brand Development?

The computing industry is upset that Dell has applied for the trademark CLOUD COMPUTING.  People cry the mark is generic, has been used in the industry for years, and should not be the sole property of Dell.  Unfortunately, these cries are coming after the mark has successfully made it through the opposition period and appears headed for registration.  Moreover, it is not entirely clear whether or not such arguments will ultimately be successful.

Trademark Auditing is More Important than Ever: Trademark Registration Requires a Lot More than Simply Filing with the USPTO

The United States Patent and Trademark Office, like most government offices, survives on the accuracy of its data.  Trademark applications and other submissions to the USPTO are expected to be accurate.  A simple mistake in the listing of goods and services can be seen as perpetrating a fraud on the USPTO and will completely invalidate an application, even where the other listed goods and services were not affected by the mistake.  This makes trademark auditing an extremely important part of any trademark holder's intellectual property protection strategy.  Trademark auditing is an evaluation of a company or individual's marks to ensure that those marks remain accurately registered in association with the correct classes of goods or services.  Failing to accurately register or monitor your marks can result in losing one of your most valuable assets: the goodwill associated with your trademark.

Register Trademark For a Catchphrase: Protect Your Brands

A catchphrase is an expression usually popularized by continued use by individuals or fictional characters.  A catchphrase, like a word or design, can be  trademarked and entitled to the same protection as such popular trademarks as NIKE and their SWOOSH.  Catchphrases have become yet another valuable trademark for companies and individuals alike. 

"Traverse Legal's attorneys know trademark law and pride themselves on advanced trademark registration techniques which are both cost-effective and budget oriented.  Because we are a boutique litigation law firm, we know how to strategically and efficiently accomplish our client's goals. "

If you have a trademark issue, or wish to register a trademark, you may contact one of our trademark attorneys for a free evaluation or call 866.936.7447 (International Toll Free).

Here is a list of some well-known catch phrases as reported on by Caroline Donnelly here.