“井”號標(biāo)簽被認(rèn)為不可注冊為商標(biāo)

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作者：Andrew Avsec 律師及Evi Christou律師
供稿：Brinks Gilson & Lione律師事務(wù)所
原標(biāo)題：井號標(biāo)簽被認(rèn)為不可注冊

越來越多的公司選擇以互聯(lián)網(wǎng)的方式傳播其商品知名度，本文案件中，美國商標(biāo)審理與上訴委員會(huì)對井號標(biāo)簽（#）是否可申請注冊成為商標(biāo)提供了裁決，其中強(qiáng)調(diào)井號標(biāo)簽商標(biāo)和其他商標(biāo)申請一樣，均需要滿足表明商品的單一來源或原產(chǎn)地的功能方可獲得注冊。

美國商標(biāo)審理與上訴委員會(huì)（Trademark Trial and Appeal Board，“TTAB”）近期就使用井號標(biāo)簽商標(biāo)（hashtag trademarks）作出先例判決：In re: DePorter, Serial No. 87/229,711 (TTAB Jan. 29, 2019)。許多公司在市場銷售中使用井號標(biāo)簽，本案的判決強(qiáng)調(diào)了在對該類商標(biāo)進(jìn)行保護(hù)和尋求注冊時(shí)需考量的實(shí)際問題。

本案，申請人對商標(biāo)注冊第25類中的各類服裝項(xiàng)目欲尋求注冊#MAGICNUMBER108（神奇數(shù)字108）。芝加哥小熊隊(duì)的棒球迷們在該隊(duì)2016年成功獲得世界大賽冠軍期間及之后，頻繁在社交媒體發(fā)帖中使用#MAGICNUMBER108 井號標(biāo)簽 – 該俱樂部108年來首次獲得的世界大賽冠軍。審查員律師與TTAB拒絕這一注冊申請，理由為#MAGICNUMBER108 僅為單純的信息主題而不具備商標(biāo)的功能，既可用以識別申請人的商品來源并與其他人的商品加以區(qū)分。TTAB強(qiáng)調(diào)說“作為一個(gè)標(biāo)識，詞語的使用方式必須可向購買者或潛在購買者表明商品的單一來源或原產(chǎn)地?！弊鳛閷@一觀點(diǎn)的支持，TTAB認(rèn)為由審查員律師提供的證據(jù)顯示，在傳播芝加哥小熊隊(duì)在世界大賽中亮相并在108年后獲得冠軍的信息時(shí)，#MAGICNUMBER108以非商標(biāo)的形式被廣泛使用。TTAB發(fā)現(xiàn)這一證據(jù)表明“在看到申請人的‘標(biāo)識’時(shí)，潛在購買者熟悉了它被廣泛傳播的非商標(biāo)使用，這使購買者不太可能認(rèn)為它能表明申請人的商品來源?！盩TAB還指出在商標(biāo)#MAGICNUMBER108中出現(xiàn)的井號可作為相關(guān)的事實(shí)要素，因?yàn)樽值鋵枠?biāo)簽的定義為“一個(gè)詞語或短語前有井號標(biāo)識（#），在信息中用于確定感興趣的關(guān)鍵字或主題，以便對它進(jìn)行搜索?！?TTAB強(qiáng)調(diào)其裁決認(rèn)為#MAGICNUMBER108被視為一個(gè)井號標(biāo)簽是與本案的具體證據(jù)緊密相關(guān)的，并且每項(xiàng)案件必須根據(jù)本身的事實(shí)進(jìn)行判決：“這并不是說每個(gè)井號及詞語或短語的組合，都是或?qū)⑹蔷枠?biāo)簽。”

重要事項(xiàng)：

TTAB在決策表達(dá)是否構(gòu)成信息主題時(shí)，提供了其對井號標(biāo)簽所具有影響的觀點(diǎn)。例如：

1. 公眾對一個(gè)術(shù)語或表達(dá)越通常的使用，該表達(dá)可作為對單一來源識別的可能性越小。

本案，TTAB發(fā)現(xiàn)有許多第三方在Tweets和Instagram中使用#MAGICNUMBER108作為主題發(fā)布關(guān)于2016年芝加哥小熊隊(duì)贏得世界大賽冠軍的帖子，而不是申請人所提供的任何商品或服務(wù)。
TTAB認(rèn)為當(dāng)一個(gè)井號標(biāo)簽于在線社交媒體搜索中被作為檢索詞的一部分時(shí)，這一標(biāo)簽基本不能提供指明來源的功能，因?yàn)樗皟H僅是促進(jìn)了在線社交媒體內(nèi)的分類和搜索?！?/p>

2．僅有讓井號標(biāo)簽具有商標(biāo)功能的意圖，或僅是這類商標(biāo)出現(xiàn)在所申請商品上的事實(shí)，并不足以使其能成為商標(biāo)。相反，一個(gè)井號標(biāo)簽商標(biāo)的使用方式，必須是可向購買者或潛在購買者表明所申請商品的單一來源或原產(chǎn)地

本案，TTAB發(fā)現(xiàn)申請人在T恤衫上使用#MAGICNUMBER108是不夠的，因?yàn)樯暾埲藳]有對其商品提供識別，或建立任何復(fù)制方法以提高商品知名度。

此外，TTAB指出申請人提供了與#MAGICNUMBER108有關(guān)的商品展示，這些商品并非商標(biāo)申請中所涵蓋的商品類型。

3 . TTAB使用了Mucinex品牌作為對比實(shí)例，其井號標(biāo)簽商標(biāo)可被注冊：

Mucinex的制造商已經(jīng)注冊了#blamemucus，這一井號標(biāo)簽允許潛在的消費(fèi)者通過社交媒體獲得對其感冒的同情，并且傳播了Mucinex的信息及參與抽獎(jiǎng)。#blamemucus注冊涵蓋醫(yī)藥產(chǎn)品本身（提供了一間商店展示帶有該標(biāo)志的產(chǎn)品作為使用產(chǎn)品樣片），并且通過互聯(lián)網(wǎng)絡(luò)持續(xù)提供呼吸和肺疾病領(lǐng)域的信息服務(wù)（提供公司網(wǎng)站作為產(chǎn)品樣片）。

關(guān)鍵啟示：

和其他商標(biāo)一樣，為與商品及/或服務(wù)有關(guān)的井號標(biāo)簽商標(biāo)尋求保護(hù)，您應(yīng)：

- 選擇與所申請商品和服務(wù)相的關(guān)獨(dú)特詞語或短句；

- 計(jì)劃在銷售點(diǎn)的標(biāo)志、包裝、展示、廣告、宣傳小冊子和/或網(wǎng)站上使用井號標(biāo)簽商標(biāo)，以顯著的方式推廣所申請的商品和/或服務(wù)。

如果你決定在社交媒體活動(dòng)中使用井號標(biāo)簽商標(biāo)，用它來鼓勵(lì)消費(fèi)者使用井號標(biāo)簽商標(biāo)，以如創(chuàng)造所申請商品和/或服務(wù)的知名度。
將“hashtag（井號標(biāo)簽）”一詞或井號標(biāo)識 (#) 添加至其他不可被注冊的詞語中，通常不會(huì)使這一復(fù)合詞語變得可被注冊。例如，如果商標(biāo)由HASHTAG(井號標(biāo)簽)一詞或井號標(biāo)識組成，其后的措辭僅是一般性描述（merely descriptive）或是商品/服務(wù)的通用名稱（generic），整個(gè)商標(biāo)只能作為描述性商標(biāo)或通用商標(biāo)被拒絕（如#SKATER作為滑板器材的商標(biāo)僅屬于一般描述性）
考慮到井號標(biāo)簽的目的是盡可能多的促進(jìn)消費(fèi)者的在線對話，井號標(biāo)簽商標(biāo)可能在商標(biāo)執(zhí)行和監(jiān)管第三方使用該類商標(biāo)中出現(xiàn)挑戰(zhàn)。因此，如果您想通過向USPTO申請注冊來利用井號標(biāo)簽商標(biāo)的影響力，您應(yīng)考慮到這些在線對話可能對井號標(biāo)簽可注冊性所帶來的影響。

附：英文全文

Hashtag Found Not to be Registrable

The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB”) recently issued a precedential decision about the use of hashtag trademarks in In re: DePorter, Serial No. 87/229,711 (TTAB Jan. 29, 2019). Many companies use hashtags in their marketing, and this decision highlights practical considerations about protecting and seeking registration for such trademarks.

In this case, the applicant sought to register #MAGICNUMBER108 for various apparel items in Class 25. Chicago Cubs fans used the #MAGICNUMBER108 hashtag frequently in social media posts during and after the Cubs’ successful 2016 World Series campaign – the club’s first World Series title in 108 years. The Examining Attorney and the TTAB refused registration on the ground that #MAGICNUMBER108 is mere informational matter that fails to function as a trademark to indicate the source of the applicant’s goods and identify them from the goods of others. The TTAB emphasized that “[t]o be a mark, the phrase must be used in a manner which indicates to purchasers or potential purchasers a single source or origin for the goods.” In re: DePorter, p. 3. As support, the TTAB acknowledged that the evidence provided by the Examining Attorney showed wide use of #MAGICNUMBER108 in a non-trademark manner to convey information about the Chicago Cubs’ World Series appearance and win after a 108-year drought. The TTAB found that this evidence suggested that “upon encountering Applicant’s ‘mark,’ prospective purchasers familiar with such widespread non-trademark use are unlikely to consider it to indicate the source of Applicant’s goods.” In re: DePorter, p. 11. The TTAB also noted that the presence of the hash mark in the trademark #MAGICNUMBER108 was a relevant factor because the dictionary definition of a hashtag “is a word or phrase preceded by a hash mark (#), used within a message to identify a keyword or topic of interest and facilitate a search for it.” In re: DePorter, pp. 11-12. The TTAB emphasized that its conclusion that #MAGICNUMBER108 would be perceived as a hashtag was tied to the particular evidence of this case and that each case must be decided on its own facts: “That is not to say that every combination of a hash mark and word or phrase is or will be a hashtag.” In re: DePorter, p. 12.

Important Notes:

The TTAB provided its view on the impact that a hashtag has on its determination of whether an expression constitutes informational matter. For example:

1. The more commonly a term or expression is used by the public, the less likely the expression will be identified with a single source.

In this case, the TTAB found that numerous third-parties used #MAGICNUMBER108 as the subject matter of Tweets and Instagram posts related to the Chicago Cubs World Series win in 2016, rather than to any goods or services provided by the applicant.
The TTAB stated that where a hashtag is used as part of an online social media search term, it generally serves no source-indicating function, because it “merely facilitate[s] categorization and searching within online social media.” TMEP § 1202.18. In re: DePorter, p. 2.

2 . Mere intent that a hashtag function as a trademark, or the mere fact that such trademark appears on the applied-for goods is not enough in and of itself to make it a trademark. Rather, a hashtag trademark must be used in a manner which indicates to purchasers or potential purchasers a single source or origin for the applied-for goods.

In this case, the TTAB found that it was not enough that the applicant used the #MAGICNUMBER108 on t-shirts because the applicant failed to identify or produce copies of any methods used to create product awareness.

Moreover, the TTAB noted that to the extent the applicant provided examples of where goods were shown in connection with #MAGICNUMBER108, they were not the type of goods that were covered in the trademark application.

3. The TTAB used the Mucinex example to provide a contrasting instance where a hashtag trademark might be registrable:

[T]he makers of Mucinex have registered #blamemucus, which allows potential consumers to commiserate about their colds through social media, as well as spread the word about Mucinex and participate in drawings for prizes. The #blamemucus registration covers both the pharmaceutical products themselves (with a store display bearing the mark as a specimen of use) and services consisting of information in the field of respiratory and pulmonary conditions via the Internet (with the company website as a specimen).

In re: DePorter, p. 14.

Key Takeaways：

Like with other trademarks, to seek protection for a hashtag trademark in connection with goods and/or services, you should:
Choose a distinct word or phrase that relates to the applied-for goods and services;
Plan to use the hashtag trademark on point of sale signs, packaging, displays, advertisements, brochures and/or websites in a prominent manner to promote the applied-for goods and/or services.
If you decide to use the hashtag trademark in a social media campaign, use it to encourage consumers to use the hashtag trademark to create awareness for the applied-for goods and/or services.
The addition of the term “hashtag” or the hash symbol (#) to an otherwise unregistrable term typically will not render the resulting composite term registrable. For example, if a trademark consists of the term HASHTAG or the hashtag symbol followed by wording that is merely descriptive or generic for the goods or services, the entire trademark must be refused as merely descriptive or generic (i.e. #SKATER for skateboarding equipment is merely descriptive).
Given that the purpose of a hashtag is for it to be used by as many consumers as possible to develop online conversations, hashtag trademarks may present challenges in enforcing and policing third-party uses of such trademarks. As a result, if you intend to leverage the reach of a hashtag trademark by seeking registration with the USPTO, you should consider the impact that these online conversations may have on the registrability of the hashtag.

發(fā)布：IPRdaily中文網(wǎng)（iprdaily.cn）
作者：Andrew Avsec 律師及Evi Christou律師
供稿：Brinks Gilson & Lione律師事務(wù)所
編輯：IPRdaily趙珍校對：IPRdaily縱橫君

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