Tag archives: hashtag

#trademarked?

By Stephanie Schmidt (US) on November 6, 2018 Posted in Trademark

In August of 2018, the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), which decides cases certain trademark cases, refused rapper will.i.am’s attempt to register a hashtag as a trademark. Specifically, i.am.symbolic,llc (will.i.am’s company), attempted to register #WILLPOWER for a variety of apparel goods. The Trademark Examining Attorney refused his application because WILLPOWER WEAR was already … Continue reading

FTC and Social Media Influencer Endorsements

By Susan Ross (US) on September 19, 2017 Posted in General

On September 7, 2017, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it had entered into a proposed consent agreement with two individuals and their company that allegedly ran an online gaming community website that allowed users to gamble virtual currency. According to the FTC complaint, the two individuals promoted the gaming site and not … Continue reading

So You Can Trademark a Hashtag – But Should You?

By Mayura Noordyke (US) on November 7, 2016 Posted in Trademark

We have previously discussed whether hashtags can be registered as trademarks (yes, they can!) and their increasing prevalence on social media. In this post, we take a closer look at whether brand owners should pursue trademark protection for marks incorporating hashtags.… Continue reading

Can You Trademark a Hashtag?

By Mayura Noordyke (US) on July 11, 2016 Posted in Trademark

#Yes! In the United States, a hashtag can be trademarked if it serves a source-identifying function for the trademark owner’s goods or services. Hashtags, which started on Twitter as a way for users to follow conversations on particular topics, are words or phrases that follow the pound or hash sign (“#”). Since their inception, hashtags … Continue reading