A trademark could be anything that distinguishes your company from the competitors. Usually, we think of brand names, logos and slogans. But colors, shapes, and sounds can be trademarks as well. Here are a few of the more interesting or bizzare ones I have come across recently (click Registration number to open link to USPTO records):
- Starbucks cup configuration/design, including their “boxes” the barristas use to identify a drink. Reg. No. 3070042.
- Color(s) Claimed: The color(s) green, white, and black is/are claimed as a feature of the mark.
- Description of Mark and Any Color Part(s): The mark consists of a three dimensional design of the exterior of a cup, including a series of concentric circles in the colors green, white, and black located centrally on the front side and lower back portion of the cup, and a series of six rectangles of varying sizes arranged vertically on the side of the cup. The words decaf, shots, syrup, milk, custom, and drink appear above the rectangles. The design of the cup shown in broken lines is not claimed as an element of the mark. The concentric circles on the drawing appear in the following colors from the outside circle to the inner circle, white, green, white, black.
- MISS VIRTUAL WORLD logo – pending application number 77616297 for use with “Computer software for the databasing, visualization, manipulation, virtual reality immersion and integration of geographic information with on-line member communities,; Interactive video games of virtual reality comprised of computer hardware and software; Virtual reality game software”
- Description of Mark: The mark consists of MISS VIRTUAL WORLD is a beauty pageant that welcomes avatars from all virtual platforms to compete for the crown of the most beautiful female avatar in the virtual world.
- New York Yankees pinstripe uniforms. Reg. No. 2029421.
- Disclaimer: the representation of the shape of the uniform
- Description of Mark: The drawing is a two-dimensional representation of the mark, which consists of the design elements and color combinations appearing on a three-dimensional baseball uniform worn by players in applicant’s games and exhibitions.
- Lining and Stippling: The uniform is white with navy blue pinstripes, the colors are a feature of the mark.
- Peadmont Hotel duck walk. Registration No. 2710415.
- Description of Mark: The mark consists of the live visual and motion elements of the The Peabody Duck March as performed at The Peabody Hotels, only one segment of which is depicted in line art in the drawing. The motion elements include the red carpet being rolled out, the appearance of the ducks and uniformed Duckmaster at the elevator door, and the march of the ducks down the red carpet, up the steps, and into the fountain where they begin swimming. The mark also includes the fanfare in reverse sequence.
- PLOUF for restaurant and catering services. Registration No. 2104150.
- Translation: The English translation of “PLOUF” is “an onomatopoeia evoking the noise of a fall in water”.
- Orange stripes are apparently quite popular:
- On a moving van: Registered for “Truck, trailer, and moving van rental services.” Registration No. 3494592.
- Color(s) Claimed: The color(s) orange and white is/are claimed as a feature of the mark.
- Description of Mark: The mark consists of orange and white designs applied to trucks, trailers and moving vans as follows: an orange horizontal stripe on the side of a white vehicle and an orange rectangular shaped design on the cab of the vehicle. The dotted lines shown on the drawing are not part of the mark and serve only to show the position of the mark on the vehicle.
- On a moving van: Registered for “Truck, trailer, and moving van rental services.” Registration No. 3494592.
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- On a building: Registered for “Retail home improvement stores.” Registration No. 3244427.
- Color(s) Claimed: The applicant claims color as a feature of the mark, namely, orange.
- Description of Mark: The mark consists of trade dress of an orange stripe that is located around the perimeter of the exterior of the one-story buildings in which the applicant renders its retail home improvement services. The dotted lines in the drawing are merely representative of the shape of the exterior of the building to which the applicant’s trade dress is applied and is intended to show the position of the mark on the building and is not part of the mark.
- On a building: Registered for “Retail home improvement stores.” Registration No. 3244427.
