added a section with the current mark's owned by DC and Marvel, as well as recent action of the companies to protect their marks
Okumaya devam et...
← Previous revision | Revision as of 23:25, 8 May 2024 |
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| === Current Status/Relevant Cases === | === Current Status/Relevant Cases === |
| Currently, the following trademarks are registered jointly to MARVEL CHARACTERS, INC. and DC COMICS: | |
| 73222079 SUPER HEROES for publications<ref>{{Cite web |title=Trademark Status & Document Retrieval |url=https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=...TION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=tsdr.uspto.gov}}</ref> | |
| 72243225 SUPER HERO for costumes<ref>{{Cite web |title=Trademark Status & Document Retrieval |url=https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=...TION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=tsdr.uspto.gov}}</ref> | |
| 77732560 SUPER HEROES for production and distribution of a series of animated motion picture<ref>{{Cite web |title=Trademark Status & Document Retrieval |url=https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=...TION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=tsdr.uspto.gov}}</ref> | |
| 78356610 SUPER HEROES for t-shirts<ref>{{Cite web |title=Trademark Status & Document Retrieval |url=https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=...TION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=tsdr.uspto.gov}}</ref> | |
| 73011796 SUPER HEROES for toy figures<ref>{{Cite web |title=Trademark Status & Document Retrieval |url=https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=73011796&caseSearchType=US_APPLICA |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=tsdr.uspto.gov}}</ref> | |
| As mentioned, the two companies also own a variety of other super hero related marks. For instance, DC owns “Legion of Super-Heroes" and "DC Super Hero Girls" and Marvel owns “Marvel Super Hero Island" and "Marvel Super Hero Adventures."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Trademark Search |url=https://tmsearch.uspto.gov/search/search-results |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=tmsearch.uspto.gov}}</ref> | |
| DC and Marvel have garnered a reputation for zealously protecting their super hero marks. As noted above, one of these instances included a man by the name of Graham Jules, who sought to publish a book entitled “Business Zero to Superhero.”<ref>{{Cite web |last=Journal |first=A. B. A. |title=Law student prevails against Marvel and DC Comics over use of word 'superhero' in book title |url=https://www.abajournal.com/news/art...omic_giants_in_battle_over_use_of_word_superh |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=ABA Journal |language=en}}</ref> In 2014, he received a cease and desist from DC and Marvel who claimed that his use of the term superhero would cause confusion and dilute their brands.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Journal |first=A. B. A. |title=Law student prevails against Marvel and DC Comics over use of word 'superhero' in book title |url=https://www.abajournal.com/news/art...omic_giants_in_battle_over_use_of_word_superh |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=ABA Journal |language=en}}</ref> He was offered a few thousand dollars in settlement to change the name of his book, but he did not concede.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Journal |first=A. B. A. |title=Law student prevails against Marvel and DC Comics over use of word 'superhero' in book title |url=https://www.abajournal.com/news/art...omic_giants_in_battle_over_use_of_word_superh |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=ABA Journal |language=en}}</ref> A few days prior to the scheduled hearing at the Intellectual Property Office in London, the companies backed down. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Journal |first=A. B. A. |title=Law student prevails against Marvel and DC Comics over use of word 'superhero' in book title |url=https://www.abajournal.com/news/art...omic_giants_in_battle_over_use_of_word_superh |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=ABA Journal |language=en}}</ref> | |
| A similar scenario occurred when comic book creator Ray Felix attempted to register his comic book series "A World Without Superheroes" with the USPTO.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-04-25 |title=Comic book creator takes on publishers Marvel and DC for right to use term ‘superhero’ |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2013/04...arvel-and-dc-for-right-to-use-term-superhero/ |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=New York Daily News |language=en-US}}</ref> Felix is one of many who argue that the term "super hero" has become generic (see discussion below).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-04-25 |title=Comic book creator takes on publishers Marvel and DC for right to use term ‘superhero’ |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2013/04...arvel-and-dc-for-right-to-use-term-superhero/ |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=New York Daily News |language=en-US}}</ref> Felix's mark is currently abandoned, but he has stated that he intends to fight against DC and Marvel for use of the term.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Trademark Status & Document Retrieval |url=https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=...TION&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=tsdr.uspto.gov}}</ref> | |
| === Ongoing Legal Debate === | === Ongoing Legal Debate === |
Okumaya devam et...