Intellectual Property Law

Second Circuit: Sales pitch of slogan to credit card companies not use in commerce

By McKee, Voorhees & Sease, P.L.C.

In a decision Monday, the Second Circuit affirmed a district court's summary judgment in a trademark case involving the slogan "My Life. My Card."  An individual threatened to sue American Express for use of the slogan, alleging that he had superior rights in the mark based on efforts to license the phrase to various credit card companies, including American Express.  American Express filed a declaratory judgment action, and the district court granted summary judgment to American Express, holding that seeking to license the mark to companies did not constitute a use in commerce, and as such the individual had not gained any trademark rights in the phrase. 

The Second Circuit affirmed, agreeing that because the individual had not used the mark in commerce, American Express legally held the trademark rights to the "My Life. My Card." slogan.  As summarized by the court:  "there can be no trademark absent goods sold and no service mark without services rendered."

More detail of Am. Express Co. v. Goetz after the jump.

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Full post as published by FileWrapper on February 08, 2008 (boomark / email).