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14 J. Corp. L. 925 (1988-1989)
Putting the Cart before the Horse in Assessing Trademark Validity - Toward Redefining the Inherently Generic Term

handle is hein.journals/jcorl14 and id is 935 raw text is: PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE IN ASSESSING TRADEMARK VALIDITY-TOWARD REDEFINING THE INHERENTLY GENERIC TERM I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................... 925 II. BACKGROUND .................................................................... 933 A. Legitimate Functions of Trademarks ............................. 933 B. Assessing Trademark Validity ....................................... 935 III. THE PROBLEM OF INHERENTLY GENERIC TERMS ....................... 939 A. Inconsistent Application of Legal Standards ................... 939 1. Primary Significance Test ..................................... 940 2. Genus-Species Test .............................................. 944 B. Distinguishing Between Descriptive and Generic Terms .... 949 C. Evaluation of Trademark Validity in the Abstract .......... 955 IV. TOWARD REDEFINING INHERENTLY GENERIC TERMS .................. 963 V. JUSTIFICATIONS AND SAFEGUARDS .......................................... 965 A. Justification by the Statutory Language ......................... 966 B. Promotion of the Legitimate Trademark Functions ......... 967 C. Section 43(a) Serves as an Inadequate Safeguard ............ 967 D. Fair Use Defense Serves as an Adequate Safeguard ........ 969 V I. C ONCLUSION ...................................................................... 971 I. INTRODUCTION Trademark law,' a subset of the broader body of law known as unfair competition, exists to prevent deception2 in the 1. Current statutory trademark law is governed by the Lanham Trademark Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1051-1127 (1982 & Supp. V 1987). 2. The Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania noted that the purpose of the Lanham Act is to 'protect the public from the confusion and deception which flows from the copying of marks which, through their distinctiveness or exclusivity of use, identify the origin of the marked products.' A.J. Canfield Co. v. Concord Beverage Co., 629 F. Supp. 200, 206 (E.D. Pa. 1985) (quoting W. E. Bassett Co. v. Revlon, Inc., 354 F.2d 868, 871 (2d Cir. 1966)). A leading trademark commentator notes, So long as it is not generic or descriptive of the goods or services sold thereunder, the one who first adopted it will be protected against any subsequent appropriation or imitation by others, so that the public is not deceived. This principle dominates the law of trademarks. 3 R. CALLMANN, THE LAW OF UNFAIR COMPETITION TRADEMARKS AND MONOPOLIES § 18.01, at 2-3 (4th ed. 1983) (emphasis added).

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