PUBLIC MARKS with tags jurisprudence & slogan

"Le député UMP Damien Meslot, tête de liste de "Tous ensemble pour Belfort" (...), a été condamné pour avoir utilisé dans sa campagne un slogan appartenant au candidat Christophe Grudler, tête de liste divers-droite (...), soutenu par le MoDem ! Le tribunal de grande instance de Belfort a exigé que le candidat de l’UMP retire tous les tracts et documents mentionnant le slogan "Ensemble pour Belfort", déposé le 20 décembre 2004 à l’Institut national de la propriété industrielle (INPI), et détruise tous les stocks où il figure."

The IPKat has just been perusing a curious little case, the unsuccessful application of one Mr Kevin Scranage to register the words THERE AIN’T NO F IN JUSTICE as a UK trade mark for Tee shirts, sweat shirts, baseball caps (Class 25). The Kat assumed that this was going to be one of those rather tricky "immoral mark" cases, on the basis that the slogan, read out aloud and at speed, would appear to the listener as "There ain't no f***ing justice". but no, the Registry pulled a surprise and refused registration on the ground that the slogan was not distinctive, being a sign which was likely to be taken by the public as a personal statement by the wearer rather than acting as an indicator of trade origin.

The Las Vegas Visitors Authority has won a ruling in U.S. District Court protecting its trademark slogan "What Happens Here Stays Here."