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关于商标保护的6个常见问题及其解答

发布时间:2014-02-11 15:56:07 Tags:,,,,

作者:Zachary Strebeck

最近关于King的《Candy Crush》的商标的新闻引起了开发者和粉丝们开始谈论有关商标的内容。然而也因此出现了许多关于之后发展的各种不准确的假设。在此我收集了5个最常被提到的商标问题及其简单的回答。

我们是否必须注册自己的商标?

不,你只需要在商业中使用自己的标识便能够为该标志建立自己的权利。然而,有些方法和权利如果不注册便不可行。此外,注册商标将能带给那些想要使用该标识的人“富有建设性的”警告。

trademarks(from prodality)

trademarks(from prodality)

能否给“糖果”这样通用的词语注册商标?

这是一个棘手的问题,但却真的会出现这种情况。事实上,你并不能为“糖果”(如果它是与产品相关)这样的词语注册商标。苹果便是一个典型。如果你拥有的是一家销售苹果的公司或品牌,你便没有资格拥有这一商标权。然而,如果是基于抽象的方式使用这一词语,如用于描述一个计算机品牌,这便是可注册的。

如果商标经过认证并发布,是否就完事了?

USPTO将检查标识并做出决定。如果它们认为它是可登记的,它们便会在《联邦公报》发布该标识去听取反对意见。这整个过程都是公开的,任何人都可以看到。在发布后公众将有一段较短的时间可以去反对该标识。反对意见必须提交到USPTO,并在标识正式“注册”前由商标局做出最后决定。

在游戏开发中的一次著名的反对便是暴雪对于Valve注册DOTA标识的反对。这场战争还未结束。在前五年,该标识仍然可以接受公众的讨论。在这五年后,商标拥有者便可以申请“不可争辩权”,即意味着从表面上来看它将不再遭到反对。

商标的有效期是多长?

商标保护是无限期的,只要适当的商标部件仍能即时编入便可。

如果有人注册了我正在使用的商标该怎么办?

首先,你最应该做的便是提出反对意见。这一问题的答案较为复杂,你可以参考这篇文章做进一步了解:http://www.fr.com/Prior-User-vs-Federal-Registrant–Whose-Mark-Is-It-Anyway1/

如果商标拥有者并未去监督其标识会怎样?

与版权(游戏邦注:允许广泛的授权)不同的是,商标拥有者如果不能有效地监督自己的标识便会失去专有权。有两种情况会造成这一问题。一种是避开适当的质量控制而授权标识的使用。另一种则是允许别人使用标识从而导致其失去特殊性。

还有一个问题是“非商标化”,即意味着贴着商标的术语变得一般化了。“阿司匹林”便是一个典型的例子。还有其它不能有效监督标识的情况将导致权利的流失。

真心希望本文能够理清你们有关商标法的一些疑问。

本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译,拒绝任何不保留版权的转载,如需转载请联系:游戏邦

Five common questions about trademark protection

by Zachary Strebeck

With the recent news about King’s Candy Crush trademarks, game developers and fans have been talking trademark a lot lately. However, many inaccuracies and incorrect assumptions have been thrown about in the ensuing flurry. I’ve gathered here five questions about trademark that seem to come up a lot, with (hopefully) simple answers.

Do I have to register my trademark?

No, simply using your mark in commerce is enough to establish rights in that mark. However, certain remedies and rights are unavailable without registration. Additionally, registering the mark gives “constructive” notice to all other would-be users of that mark.

Can you trademark a generic word like “candy”?

This is kind of a trick question, but here goes. No, you cannot register a mark for the word “candy,” or some other generic word, if it is used in connection with that product. The famous example is the word Apple. If you have an apple-selling company or brand, you would not be eligible for trademark rights. However, using the word in an arbitrary way, such as to describe a computer brand, would be registrable. See my post on trademark distinctiveness for more info.

If the trademark is approved and published, is it final?

The USPTO examines the mark and makes a determination. If they deem it registrable, then they publish the mark for opposition in the Federal Register. The whole process is public and can be viewed by anyone. The public then has a short period of time after this publication to oppose the mark. The opposition must be filed with the USPTO, and will then be considered by the trademark office prior to the mark being officially “registered.”

One famous opposition in game development is Blizzard’s opposition to Valve’s registration of the DOTA mark. It’s not over then, however. For the first five years, a mark is still open to being contested. After that five year period, the trademark owner can then file for “incontestibility,” meaning that it can no longer be opposed on its face.

How long is a trademark valid?

Trademark protection is indefinite, as long as the proper trademark renewals are filed in a timely manner.

What if someone registers a trademark I’m already using?

First of all, an opposition would be the appropriate move to make, in many cases. This answer is a little complicated, so check out this article for a (very) detailed look at the options.

What happens if a trademark owner doesn’t police their mark?

Unlike copyright, which allows for pretty broad licensing power, trademark owners will generally lose their exclusive rights if they do not properly police their mark. There are several ways to do this. Licensing the use of the mark without proper quality controls is one way. Allowing others to use the mark so that it loses its distinctiveness is another way (called dilution by blurring or tarnishment).

Another issue is “genericide,” which means that the trademarked term has become generic. “Aspirin” is an example of this. There are other ways that failure to police a mark can result in rights going away, so check out this page for more info.

Hopefully this clears up some common questions about trademark law. If there are any more, please leave them in the comments and I will address them on the blog. If you need help evaluating or registering a mark for you project, contact an attorney for advice.(source:gamasutra)


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