- Principal Register
In
United States trademark law , the Principal Register is the primary register oftrademark s maintained by theUnited States Patent and Trademark Office . It is governed by Subchapter I of theLanham Act .Having a mark registered under the Principal Register confers certain benefits on the holder of the mark. Among them are:
* Nationwide constructive use and constructive notice, which cuts off rights of other users for similar marks
* The possibility of achieving incontestable status after five years (which cuts off certain defenses of potential infringement defendants)
* The right to bring a federalcause of action for infringement without regard to diversity oramount in controversy
* The right to requestU.S. Customs and Border Protection officials to bar importation of goods bearing infringing trademarks
* Provisions fortreble damages ,attorney fees , and various other remedies.Trademarks must be inherently distinctive, or have acquired sufficient secondary meaning, to be registered on the Principal Register.
ee also
*
Supplemental Register References
Merges, Robert P., Menell, Peter S., and Lemley, Mark A. "Intellectual Property in the New Technological Age, Third Edition." Aspen Publishers, 2003. ISBN 0-7355-3652-X pp. 591-592.
External links
* [http://www.quizlaw.com/trademarks/what_is_the_principal_register.php Explanation of the Principal Register, from QuizLaw]
* [http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode15/usc_sup_01_15_10_22_20_I.html Subchapter I of the Lanham Act] from theLegal Information Institute
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