Welcome, everyone, and good afternoon.
Thank you for joining us today as we celebrate the 75th
anniversary of the Lanham Trademark Act of 1946.
Our country has been blessed by individuals who have changed
the trajectory of our nation.
And Fritz Lanham was one such person.
It's befitting then that we celebrate his achievement today.
Throughout this program today, we're going to hear
from national leaders, including Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.
Members of Congress Drew Hirshfeld, who was performing the functions
and duties of the secretary undersecretary
of commerce for intellectual property and director of USPTO.
And from those in the private sector whose success is so dependent
on the registration of our companies, immensely valuable trademarks.
If we were all in person at the USPTO headquarters, as I would love for us to be
today, we'd be hosting a true celebration with plenty to celebrate. Eat and drink.
And we would also have a presentation of the colors of our great nation.
We can't do that in person.
But please join me as we take a moment to virtually honor Representative
Fritz Lanham and our great nation with the playing of our national anthem.
Wonderful. Our next speaker today is Gerard Rogers.
Judge Rogers is the chief administrative judge of the trademark
trial and Appeal Board.
The TTAB. as the TTAB chief judge, he's responsible
for all ongoing operations of the board, as well as its strategic planning
the TTAB hears and decides a variety of trademark specific cases.
They hear appeals by trademark applicants from the decisions
and final refusals of examining attorneys.
The board adjudicates oppositions brought by third parties to challenge
published applications.
They rule on petitions to cancel existing registrations, and they determine
geographic division of territories for marks, involved in what are called
concurrent use proceedings. before taking on responsibility for the TTAB.
Judge Rogers spent 10 years serving as one of the board's judges.
And way back in nineteen eighty seven, Judge Rogers began
his career at the USPTO as a trademark, examining attorney,
quite honestly, as one who in a prior career steered an iconic brand.
Judge Rogers was,
to all of us, one of those rock stars who we in the trademark world listened to.
Absolutely. I'm pleased we can all do so today. Judge Rogers.
Thank you, Commissioner Gooder, for the introduction
and the opportunity to represent the trademark trial and appeal board.
In today's program,
the TTAB as many know us
is essentially the USPTO trademark court
and now is as busy as it has ever been.
The ever increasing number of trial and appeal proceedings
processed and decided by the board are a testament
to the success of the statute that Congressman Fritz Lanham
and his congressional colleagues created over many years of drafting.
Congress has amended the law as needed, most significantly,
in our view, in 1958, when it created the board,
but has had no need to replace the act, which shows its real
staying power and utility for American mark holders.
The Lanham Act's drafters likely
did not foresee the wide variety of words, symbol's sounds,
colors and other indicia that now represent to consumers
the sources of an ever changing array of products and services
at the TTAB. We've been
fortunate to handle many cases involving such marks
and raising new and interesting issues in trademark law.
Everyone working at the board recognizes
both the value of strong marks to businesses and the extent
to which the public relies on brands when making their purchasing decisions.
The parties who come before the board pursue the trademark law issues presented
by their cases with appropriate vigor,
and we address the issues diligently.
On behalf of the board, I thank you for the opportunity
to recognize the importance of the Lanham Act and to all of us.
Thanks to Judge Rogers.
It's now my privilege to introduce the honorable Chuck Grassley of Iowa
as he reflects on the 75th anniversary of the Lanham Act.
Senator Grassley, a long time supporter of intellectual property rights, serves
as the president pro tem emeritus of the United States Senate.
He also serves as the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee
and is co-chair of the Congressional Trademark Caucus,
a group near and dear to the hearts of brand owners.
Recently, Senator Grassley introduced bipartisan, a bipartisan resolution
designating July as national anti counterfeiting Consumer Education
and Awareness Month.
The resolution also recognizes and celebrates the 75th anniversary
of the signing of the Lanham Act, which itself plays a significant role
in protecting consumers from counterfeit products.
Senator Grassley also recently introduced legislation
to crack down on counterfeit merchandise entering the United States,
and he has spoken on the Senate floor about the increased risks
and the potential dangers
that counterfeit merchandise poses to businesses and consumers.
Trademark owners clearly have an ally in Senator Grassley.
So let's now hear a few words from him.
Hello, everyone.
I'm Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa.
I also happen to be ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee,
which has jurisdiction over patents, copyrights and trademarks.
So I'm pleased to be here today to help celebrate with you
the 75th anniversary of the passage of the Lanham Act
with the US Department of Patents and Trademark Office.
The Lanham Act has been the foundation for modern trademark
registration and protection in the United States for decades.
The landmark law establishes remedies
for brand owners suffering from trademark infringement.
And very importantly, it protects
consumers from dangerous counterfeit products.
Not only are trademarks valuable business assets,
they're absolutely critical to our nation's economies.
Trademarks help a company distinguish
its products and services from those of its competitors.
The law allows consumers to quickly
identify the origin of the product
and make an informed decision on that product's authenticity,
reliability and quality based on the brand trademarks enable consumers
to protect themselves by relying on known brands of products or services.
They also help prevent consumers from confusion,
deception and mistakes in the marketplace.
The Lanham Act has helped to guard the health
and safety of consumers by criminalizing fake products in the marketplace.
Now, during the Covid crisis, we saw many examples of fake protective
gear, mask, hand sanitizers and other consumer products.
Hazardous counterfeit goods like these can severely impact consumer health.
And safety, unfortunately, counterfeiters
are constantly changing their tactics, including use e-commerce platforms
and small package delivery through the mail to evade the efforts
of law enforcement and legitimate brands to crack down
on this illegal activity.
Industry and law enforcement must work together to find ways
to go after the scourge and address these new challenges.
Many of you already know that.
I'm also co-chair of the Congressional Trademark Caucus,
which was established to facilitate a dialog and encourage
collaboration between industry stakeholders and policymakers.
Our goal in the caucus is to increase
education and awareness about dangers of counterfeits.
And the important role trademarks play in helping to protect consumers
and brand owners alike.
I look forward to working with you all on that goal and others
as we celebrate the Lanham Act's seventy fifth anniversary.
Thank you, Senator Grassley.
You know, I didn't know much about Fritz Lanham when I was sworn
in as commissioner for trademarks just a little over a year ago.
But the more I learned about him,
the more I was thoroughly impressed upon his death.
The Fort Worth Star Telegram wrote that Lanham was courtly, urbane
and eloquent and was unswervingly a man of his word.
Today, for those of us involved in protecting trademarks,
we are the beneficiaries of his goodwill, his persistence and the foresight
he had as our future trademark law was being crafted
over the course of a decade since the Lanham Act passed in 1946.
We have issued almost six point three million trademark registrations,
and there are currently two point seventy six million live registrations.
Interestingly, seventy six percent of those active registrations
are owned by solo filers and businesses who earn less than 10 trademarks.
Today, trademarks are more recognized than ever before in our nation's history.
And is the value of brands continues to soar?
We owe special thanks to our current members of Congress
for creating a new tool to help strengthen our trademark register.
This, of course, is the recently enacted Trademark Modernization
Act of twenty twenty. at the USPTO.
There are a little over a thousand dedicated
and passionate professionals examining trademark applications
and protecting our nation's brands and businesses.
They work in a system that was created
by Fritz Lanham, a system that has stood the test of time.
I'm sure if you were able to join us today, you'd be amazed to see
how far his foresight in creation has taken us.
As we protect brands far and wide to honor representatively
in a short video was created to help spread the word about the anniversary
and his contribution to our nation's trademark ecosystem.
Please take a few minutes now to learn about this fascinating journey.
Today, 75 years after passage of the Lanham Act,
our system of protecting
trademarks has never been more important to the American economy.
It's essential to brand owners, large and small, old and new.
The revolution we are witnessing in the global economy, driven
by the digital transformation of every industry, especially e-commerce,
has caused a demand for new trademarks to surged to record levels.
Looking back, it becomes clear that Representative Fritz Lanham was ahead
of his time, anticipating the need for a national trademark ecosystem,
one that today represents one of the key underpinnings
of our rapidly evolving and expanding system of global commerce.
The Lanham Act continues to provide protections to trademark owners
and the assurance brand names provide to hundreds of millions of consumers.
However, these assurances and protections are only possible if we remain vigilant
in maintaining the quality and reliability of trademark registrations.
On behalf of the more than 1000 trademark professionals at the USPTO
and the judges and staff working at the trademark trial appeal board,
we welcome the opportunity to work with trademark practitioners and owners
to protect their valuable brands in the integrity of our trademark register.
For that, we're grateful for the foresight and dedication of Fritz Lanham.
Even before a child has
learned to read or write, they can begin to recognize trademarks.
These familiar signs and expressions help us to identify
the products and services we trust and to avoid the ones we don't.
Each time we choose one brand over another, we owe thanks to those who shaped
trademark law, including Fritz Lanham, for his work on the Lanham Act.
The father of American trademark protection, Frederic Garland,
Lanham or Fritz, was born January 3rd, 1880, in Weatherford, Texas.
My grandfather, Fritz Lanham, who was a renaissance
man, he was humble, he was loving.
He was the most wonderful grandfather that you can imagine.
Lanham began practicing law in Weatherford in 1909.
Ten years later,
his political career began when he won a special election to Congress.
In Texas, his 12th Congressional District taking the seat once held by his father,
Samuel Willis Tucker led him as the ranking
member of the Committee on Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights.
Lanham saw the need for legislation
that would address the nation's fragmented trademark laws.
When Fritz Lanham was first elected, there were limited protections
for trademarks. It was challenging
for businesses to take advantage of what protections did exist,
because the laws were state by state, confusing and difficult to enforce.
With notes provided by Edward.
As Rogers, a lawyer and trademark expert, Lanham spent hours
developing the draft legislation that would become known as the Lanham Act.
This bill was designed to revolutionize trademark law
by establishing ways to protect trademarks from infringement, unfair competition
and false advertising on a national scale as opposed to state by state.
In 1946, eight years after it was first introduced, the Lanham Act
passed both houses and was signed into law by President Harry S.
Truman after having been reelected 13 times.
Lanham retired in 1947.
When we reflect upon the lives of men who have left their imprint upon history.
We never for an instant stopped to inquire about their wealth, but we think rather
their sterling worth and of their works in the interest of their fellow man.
Fritz Lanham. Though the Lanham Act
has been amended more than 20 times over the years.
This standing federal law remains
the primary protector of trademark rights in the U.S.
and one of the most impactful accomplishments of Lanhams legacy.
The original Lanham Act laid
the foundation for trademark protection in the United States, and over the years
it has gained significant renown around the world.
It's because of this act that we have a nationwide trademark
registration system,
a uniform legal framework for addressing trademark protection
and a law that added teeth to the universally recognized registration symbol
the ubiquitous encircled.
Our trademarks have protected the single most valuable asset
of the company, which is the brand and everything that it stands for.
Trademarks protect what gives meaning to those words to our consumers.
It's the trust that Mary Kay beauty consultants have in
starting a Mary Kay business.
It's the trust that consumers have in purchasing a Mary Kay product.
To know that it's
going to be a quality product and an authentic product from Mary Kay.
Not only does the Lanham Act continue to protect businesses,
but it also protects consumers every day.
Trademarks help us to differentiate between brands and to identify the ones
we count on to deliver safe and reliable products.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office receives over
three quarters of a million trademark applications each year.
And there are now more than 2.5 million marks with active
certificates of registration because they are so readily recognized.
Trademarks represent an accessible way for the next generation
to begin learning about intellectual property
and discovering how trademark protections under the Lanham
Act can help them to make their own meaningful mark on the future.
Next in our program, I would like to introduce you to Drew Hirshfeld.
Well, Drew is currently performing the functions and duties
of the undersecretary of commerce
for intellectual property and the director of the USPTO.
Drew's permanent role is as the commissioner for patents.
My counterpart on the patent side of the House.
In this role, Drew, is responsible for managing and directing
all aspects of the patent organization.
These things affect patent operations, examination policy,
patent quality management, international patent cooperation,
resources in planning and budget administration.
That's a full day's work anyhow.
Without further ado, I'll pass the mic to Drew to lead us
into the next part of our program Drew.
Thank you, Dave, for the very kind introduction and a warm
welcome to everyone
joining us as we commemorate the national trademark system created
seventy five years ago by Texas Texas Representative Fritz Lanham .
We're indebted to everyone who worked so hard organizing this event,
especially the trademark staff at the US PTO, led by, of course,
Commissioner Dave Gooder, the staff at the National Inventors Hall of Fame,
who produced the wonderful documentary we just watched,
and our government affairs team at the USPTO, who continually reinforces
our strong partnership with our allies and friends on Capitol Hill.
We're excited that members of the Congressional Trademark Caucus
are joining us this afternoon.
And we look forward to hearing real world anecdotes from representatives
from the private sector about the enduring importance and value of trademarks.
Today, trademarks can seem ubiquitous.
They're icons that identify our most well-known brands and products.
Yet these images and marks tell a larger story of perseverance and promise.
They are a testament to the creativity and vision of countless men and women
and a reflection of our national commitment
to the protection and enforcement of their intellectual property rights.
We have many good reasons to celebrate the successes of our trademark system
that have shaped our society and so many positive ways.
And we can be inspired by so many people who have and are dedicating their lives
to continually improving our system of IP protection.
Thank you for joining us this afternoon and for helping us commemorate
the successes of our national trademarks system
and all those who have shaped and refined it.
And now it's my pleasure to
introduce a special guest this afternoon, Secretary Gina Raimondo.
Our nation is extremely fortunate to have a secretary of commerce
who understands the importance of intellectual property
and knows what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur.
Our fortieth secretary of commerce has personal experience in financing
entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds supporting them and mentoring them.
Secretary Raimondo served as a two time governor of the state of Rhode Island
and was its first female governor.
Her tenure was marked by accomplishments in innovation,
workforce development, economic development and education.
As secretary of commerce, she has dedicated herself
to those who invent, who create and build new products and who start new companies.
She knows the value of intellectual property and her many diverse experiences.
It's my honor to welcome Secretary Raimondo.
Thank you so much, Drew.
And thank you for your incredible service.
You're doing a fantastic job leading USPTO at a very important time.
And so I want to publicly acknowledge that and say thank you.
It's wonderful for me to be here with you.
Thank you for inviting me
to be here as we celebrate the seventh anniversary of the Lanham Act.
And thank you to Commissioner Goodger for hosting us today.
Before I make other comments, I also want to express my gratitude
to the trademark examining attorneys and the professional staff.
You are the ones
who keep this place going and you do the work day in and day out.
And I'm grateful for your expertize and your professionalism and your hard work.
I also know that
we've had a surge in trademark filings, which means more work for you.
And I just want to say thank you
for for all of that hard and expert work.
I particularly also want to say thank you to the judges and staff on the trademark
trial and appeal board are doing a tremendous job insuraning fairness
in what I know is a complex area of the law.
And then, of course, thanks to Congressman Lanham,
we have a national system that protects
American innovation and positions us to lead in the 21st century.
It was beautiful watching that video.
And it's, you know, a
long time, 75 years. And it's quite.
A legacy, and I think it's important that we take this moment to recognize
the work and commit ourselves
to maintaining a strong IP system through the protection of IP
and trademarks are the foundation
upon which we place trust in our brands and in our companies.
And as Drew said, prior to entering public life,
I was in the private sector and I was a venture capital investor.
And I know how important it is to be able to trust
investments in entrepreneurs and their ideas and their businesses.
And today, especially post Covid, is the economy gets back on its feet.
We have to lean into innovation and commercialization
and entrepreneurship, and that means a strong
IP system, strong trademark, strong protection of IP
is critical to our innovation, to inventors, to commercialization,
and ultimately to millions of good paying jobs.
And so all of you are carrying on in
an important way the legacy that Congressman Lanham started.
And you're all playing a vital role in the IP ecosystem
to make sure that America's IP system is a beacon for the rest of the world
to see and is such a strong foundation for the rest of our innovation
to upon which our innovation economy can be built,
which is vital to Americans global competitiveness.
So thank you for inviting me. Thank you for your work.
Thank you for your commitment to this work and to our strong IP system.
And, you know, have a have a great session.
And with that, I'll pass it back to Dave.
Thank you, Secretary Raimondo.
We're grateful for your leadership as we head into what is really
a brave and exciting new world for trademarks here in the U.S.
and everywhere around the world.
Our next guest is the Honorable Chris Coons of Delaware,
another strong advocate of intellectual property rights.
Senator Coons serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee
and is also a co-chair of the Congressional Trademark Caucus.
Senator Coons co-sponsored the bipartisan resolution
designating July as National Anti Counterfeiting Awareness
and Education Month prior to being elected to the Senate.
Senator Coons worked in the private sector for Al Gore and Associates and Advanced
Materials manufacturing company that is near and dear to the hearts
of mountaineers, skiers
and just about every form of outdoor enthusiasts in the world.
Senator Coons understands how important intellectual property
protection is in promoting new technologies.
As a member of the Judiciary Committee, the senator has fought to both strengthen
and modernize our nation's IP system and seeks to find new ways
to establish protections for American inventors and innovations.
Please take a moment to listen to the words of Senator Coons.
Hi, I'm U.S. Senator Chris Coons from Delaware.
In the 75 years since Congress passed the Lanham Act.
American consumers and companies have benefited greatly
from trademark protection.
We all know as consumers the brands that we trust.
And that's largely because the Lanham Act allows companies
to build up their brand loyalty, to identify their products
and to protect themselves from being copied.
This wasn't a completely new concept in nineteen forty six
when President Truman signed the Lanham Act
going all the way back to medieval times, swordsmith blacksmiths
put unique marks on their products, on their crafts to show ownership
and to help consumers know that they were getting the real thing.
But it took hundreds of years before any type of legal action
developed around trademarks in our modern environment.
Think about the golden arches or the swoosh or the apple.
You know that the golden arches mean McDonald's.
The swoosh means Nike and the Macintosh's apple.
These are trademarked symbols that help, you know, you can trust products
as having come from those trusted companies.
And as consumers, we associate these symbols to these brands
because their trademark has been protected.
I'm co-chair of the Congressional Trademark Caucus and recognize
maintaining strong
trademarks for consumers and businesses is critical for our economy.
In twenty twenty e-commerce sales in the US reached eight hundred billion dollars.
So making sure rights created by the Lanham Act remain strong is imperative.
If we want to keep growing our e-commerce economy
in May, Senator Tillis of North Carolina and I introduced the Shop Safe
Act that strengthens the Lanham Act and combats online counterfeiting.
It encourages online platforms to adopt ways to keep counterfeit products
off their websites.
So consumers trust in the basis of brand loyalty isn't compromised.
I'm glad to celebrate this moment.
This seventy fifth
anniversary of the Lanham Act that helped fuel national brands and
is consumer protection from counterfeiting is at the top of our agenda.
We're going to need to keep working to ensure the acts
passage isn't just celebrated today, but it's continued in the years ahead
as a strong foundation for our modern and vibrant economy.
Thank you so much for letting me be a part of this celebration today.
And I look forward to continuing to work with you to keep trademark law
strong into the future.
Thank you, Senator Coons.
Next, I'd like to introduce you to Jenny McDowell.
Jenny is the director of government relations for the International
Trademark Association in her position.
She serves as India's liaison with federal and state policymakers
and government officials and contributes to the development of India's position
on national and global intellectual property issues.
Prior to joining India in 2019,
Jenny served as assistant general counsel at the USTR there.
She was the lead IP attorney for the U.S.
Mexico Canada Agreement and engaged with Congress and industry
stakeholders on complex IP issues.
Miss McDowell also served as pro bono coordinator here at the USPTO.
We also thought it'd be interesting to hear today from brand owners,
as well as immediately following Jeni's words.
We'll hear from the trademark primary
trademark counsel for three influential and iconic brands.
They're going to share with you their stories about the Lanham Act
and what it has meant to their brands.
But now I'll turn it over to Jenny.
Hello, friends. On behalf of the International Trademark Association,
it is my pleasure to join you today
in celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Lanham at.
My name is Jenny MacDowell, and I'm the director of government relations for I.A.
Based right here in Washington, D.C.
I would like to thank the USPTO for hosting this virtual program
by shining a spotlight on the Lanham Act, which is America's main trademark law.
We can take a few moments to reflect on why it remains important
even after 75 years.
First, just a few words about who we are
and why we care so much about the Lanham Act.
Into is a global association of brand owners and professionals
dedicated to supporting trademarks.
Our members include nearly sixty five hundred organizations
representing more than thirty
four thousand individuals from a hundred and eighty five countries,
all of whom benefit from our global trademark resources,
policy and development, education and training, an international network.
We speak for brand owners by working to harmonize laws and policies
around the world on trademark and related intellectual property issues.
Why is the Lanham Act fundamental to our members and to society at large?
Well, many reasons.
Let's remember the most important thing that trademarks do.
They identify the source of the goods
or services of one party from those of another.
That's the first reason that trademarks are critically important.
They help consumers know what to expect,
and that instills trust and builds brand loyalty.
Second, trademark intensive industries contribute to job
creation and economic growth in the United States and around the world.
Trademark owners range from individual entrepreneurs to big brands.
Just think about it.
Brands elevate everyday items and they tell stories.
They spark emotion.
They have the power to inspire us to exhilarate and to enrich
trademarks, allow brands to communicate effectively with their customers.
With that foundation, businesses will invest the resources in their brands
knowing that they have certain exclusive rights provided for by the Lanham Act.
Later in this program,
you're going to hear some very compelling stories from iconic brands.
These into members include Harley Davidson, Mattel and NBCUniversal.
These companies, like our other members, have invested
in their brands and work hard to protect the public from counterfeits.
That is the third reason the Lanham Act is important.
Quite simply, counterfeiting is a growing problem
that jeopardizes the health and safety of all of us.
I MTA is committed to building awareness, developing best practices
and working with both brand owners and enforcement
authorities to combat the dangers of counterfeit.
I Antia is very proud to work closely with the bicameral, bipartisan
Congressional Trademark Caucus on Capitol Hill to discuss all the important roles
that we all play in protecting the public against dangerous counterfeits.
Today, several co-chairs of the Congressional Trademark
Caucus explained why the Lanham Act is important to them
into is very grateful for this opportunity to work with Congress
and with the USPTO and to speak with you today.
It is wonderful to celebrate the diamond anniversary of the Lanham Act.
Thank you very much.
That sound is synonymous with NBC.
It was the very first sound, Mark registered with the USPTO in 1950.
We were pioneers in expanding trademark protection available to brand owners.
We are so honored to be part of the 75th anniversary of the Lanham Act.
Thank you to the office for putting on this event.
I'm only Changzhou senior vice president and head of brands
and Content IP and NBC Universal as part of my responsibilities.
I lead the global trademark practice for the company, and BCU owns and operates
news and entertainment television networks such as NBC,
CNBC, Bravo and Telemundo.
Motion picture studios, including Universal Pictures
and DreamWorks Animation theme parks under Universal
Parks and Resorts and a premium streaming service, among others.
We're known around the world for our franchises,
including Jurassic World, Fast and Furious.
Kung Fu Panda and Despicable Me.
Something for everyone.
We create and license many goods and services from toy cars to real airplanes.
Coffeemakers to television shows.
Which brings me back to this.
Since first debuting in 1929,
the NBC time has been heard by generations of radio and television audiences.
It is amazing how a simple series of notes, a design
or just a word can bring to mind a world of experiences and memories.
That is the power of a trademark.
These days, everyone is familiar with our Peacock logo.
It did not start out looking like this back in 1956.
When we first introduced the peacock design, it looked very different.
It had 11 realistic looking feathers and six different colors.
The original purpose
of the peacock was to show the fact that we were broadcasting in color.
NBC wanted consumers to immediately understand that it was at the forefront
of innovation and technology.
This is what it looked like.
The peacock design was chosen to usher in this new service.
A few years later, having fulfilled the original purpose of introducing
the world to color television, in 1962, the Peacock logo was updated.
This time, it was more of a we'll of colors.
It's like like this.
The design evolved from more a realistic depiction of the peacock
to this original design.
Then a few years later, in 1986, the logo is updated again to the version
that we would see and understand as the logo you see in the pillow.
The feathers repaired from six to represent the divisions of the company
this time. So each of the colors
yellow with four news, orange is for sports,
entertainment is red stations, Purple Network, Blue and Productions was green.
Each versions of these peacocks has been an emblem of the network.
In fact, over the years, NBC became known
as the Peacock Network because of the theme of the logo.
In 2020, when launching our streaming service, the company had a difficult
task of selecting a new name.
They ultimately turned to our iconic logo and name the service Peacock.
However, they did not just want to update the peacock again.
They wanted to reinvent it. And this is where they landed.
You will see each of the colors of the peacock
represented in the spine of the new logo.
Our business will continue to create and innovate.
Branding and IP have always been integral to the company, and trademark
protection is key to ensuring that our brands resonate with consumers .
Thank you so much.
Hello. My name is Michael Moore, and I'm associate general counsel,
senior director and global head of trademarks for Mattel Inc.
I'm thrilled to be with you all today.
And as you may be able to tell, I'm coming to you from inside of Mattel's
famous design center in El Segundo, California,
on behalf of Mattel .
I'd like to thank the USPTO in India for their generous invitation
to be here today to celebrate this seventy fifth anniversary of the Lanham Act.
The foundation of modern U.S. trademark law.
Here's a fun fact.
Mattel just celebrated its 75th anniversary to the history
and success of Mattel and the Lanham Act run in parallel.
And I have little doubt that Mattel's ability to succeed was
and is in no small part
due to the many benefits provided by the landmarks.
Mattel's story starts in a small garage
in Southern California, where some of the most well-known
and beloved toy brands of all time came to life.
Now, some 76 years later,
Mattel is one of the most successful toy companies in the world
and owns one of the largest catalogs of children's entertainment brands.
From the Barbie trademark registered in 1959 for the first three dimensional
fashion doll to the Hot Wheels trademark, registered
in 1968 for diecast toy cars.
Then there's Heman and Masters of the Universe,
registered in 1981 and 1982, respectively.
The Fisher-Price trademark first used in 1931
and registered in 1960 for American Girl OOno Thomas and Friends,
the Magic Eight Ball Rock'em Sock'em Polly Pocket and many, many more.
Mattel is indeed
a company of many brands and therefore many trademarks.
And you'll often hear Mattel's current CEO, a non-price
say in interviews that Mattel is an IP driven, high performing toy company.
And it's true for Mattel's creativity, innovation and success
is represented by the power of the famous trademark rights.
It owns rights made possible by the Lanham Act.
Mattel values trademarks immensely to not only protect the value
of its brands, but most importantly, to protect children and consumers as well.
Thus, for almost a decade,
Mattel was the number one corporate trademark filer at the USPTO
and is still one of the top trademark filers today.
It is very difficult to imagine Mattel growing from a small company in a garage
to becoming a leader in the toy industry without the Lanham Act.
In fact, just try to imagine our present world and system of commerce without it.
Federal trademark registrations
under the Lanham Act have never been more important than they are today.
Trademark registrations are the key tool
to combat dangerous counterfeits, especially online.
With the trademark registrations for its brands,
Mattel has removed thousands of counterfeits from online marketplaces,
and as a result, the online sales of some brands have increased.
In the case of oono, for example, by as much as 200 percent.
Also, U.S. Customs has seized millions of dollars worth of counterfeit
Mattel products because of Mattel's trademark registrations.
In one case, last December,
more than one million dollars of counterfeit
union cards were seized in a single shipment at the border.
These are just some examples of many
thanks to rights provided by the Lanham Act.
We all owe a debt of gratitude to the Lanham Act,
legislation that created a most efficient,
effective and powerful way to protect consumers
and to register, recognize and protect the rights of brand owners.
Both big and small at a national level.
I am grateful to the USPTO for all the work they've done
and continue to do to realize the promise of the Lanham Act.
And I thank them again for bringing us together today to celebrate.
So on behalf of Mattel, cheers to the Lanham Act.
And I hope to be with you all in person
to celebrate the Lanham Act again next year.
And for many years to come. Thank you.
When most people think of motorcycles, they usually think of Harley Davidson,
and much of that is due to the recognition attached to the brand.
The Harley Davidson brand is built on the company's trademarks,
and those trademarks have been one of the company's most valued
assets from pretty much the beginning.
Harley Davidson was founded in nineteen
oh three and a 10 foot by 15 foot shed.
And on the front door of that shed, the founder scrawled the words
Harley Hyphen Davidson Motor Company.
This was the beginning of an intentional brand.
When the company's first motorcycle was produced later that year, it too
had Harley, Haiphong, Davidson on the tank in the same way of that door.
I think it's incredible to see the intentionality of the founders
and not just creating a product, but the focus of ensuring
there was consistent branding and how they showed up to the public.
By 1910, Harley adopted its famous barn shield logo and had it registered
in the United States Patent and Trademark Office in 1911, just one year later.
This registration early in the company's history
illustrates the value that Harley Davidson saw not only in its brand,
but in the benefits of federal trademark ownership, even predating the Lanham Act.
Throughout the years, while the Harley Davidson brand was still very
much associated with motorcycles, it has transformed into a lifestyle brand.
You now see our logo on other products, such as apparel,
furniture, mugs, toys and much more.
The growth into these product areas
has been supported by Harley Davidsons ability to not only register
its trademarks in additional classes other than motorcycles,
but also to stop those who wish to unfairly trade
off of the name and brand that Harley Davidson has built
as a company. We have been very happy to rely on provisions
within trademark laws, especially statutory damages,
to not only obtain monetary and equitable relief,
but also to deter other would be infringers.
The trademarks and trademark protections are what underscored
the value and prestige of the Harley-Davidson brand
and what will help it remain strong for many years to come.
Thanks, Jenny Adrià,
Monique and Michael, for sharing your Lanham Act insights with us.
I just love hearing brand stories, but I have loved it my whole life.
Our next message comes from Congressman Ted Deutch from Florida's 22nd District.
Congressman Deutsch is also co-chair of the Congressional Trademark
Caucus and is another vocal champion of intellectual property rights.
He's been a longtime supporter of educational outreach
programing offered by us here at the USPTO.
Congressman Deutsch serves as a senior member of the House
Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet.
Here then are a few words from Congressman Deutsch.
Hi, it's Ted. Today, we celebrate 75 years of protected innovation and strength.
And Pat was under the Lanham Act when Congress passed and President
Truman signed into law the Lanham Act in 1946.
They lay the groundwork for intellectual property protections
that have allowed brands
to maintain their integrity while protecting consumer confidence.
As individuals and businesses work to create new ideas,
their innovation deserves to be encouraged.
Sadly, without the existence of a formal trademark protection system, innovation
could not truly exist in both businesses, and consumers would suffer as a result .
By allowing owners to seek legal protections for trademark infringement.
Well, Lanham Act, the Lanham Act allows Americans
innovative endeavors to truly flourish.
But our work is not over yet.
Each day, Americans are creating new businesses
and bringing their new ideas into an ever growing market.
And as they do this, we must ensure
that they have a fair market that encourages businesses
to grow stronger, more competitive and more resilient.
This starts by ensuring that we continue to protect
their intellectual property rights.
So I look forward to working with my colleagues
in the one hundred seventeen Congress as we ensure that creativity is supported
and encouraged in a strengthened intellectual property system.
Thank you, Congressman.
Now closing on our program today is Coke Morgan Stewart.
Miss Stewart is performing the functions and duties of the deputy undersecretary
of commerce for intellectual property and deputy director of the USPTO.
That's a long title, but it's fair to say that Coke is the go
to person in the office of the undersecretary, and she guides the USPTO
on a wide variety of legal policy and operational matters.
Coke's work at the USPTO has earned her four special ACT awards,
the most recent for her work,
helping guide our agency through the ups and downs of the pandemic.
I now pass the mic to Coke. Morgan Steward. Coke
Great. Thank you so much, Dave.
Hello to everyone who joined us this afternoon
and hearing all these wonderful presentations.
It reminds me that recognizing and celebrating important events
in American history, like the nineteen forty six passage of the Land Act,
gives us a chance to pause in our busy lives
and look back at how these events have shaped our nation.
I think I can speak for all of us and saying that the firsthand anecdotes
on the importance of trademark protections
we have heard today are powerful examples of the importance
of intellectual property to our economy and our greater well-being.
And thank you very much to everyone who shared your stories with us today.
These examples remind us why our IP system remains the global gold standard.
I know we were also touched by the engaging and thoughtful tributes
by our friends in Congress and are very thankful for their continued
support and efforts on behalf of America's innovators and inventors.
I also would like to thank Secretary of Commerce
Gina Raimondo for her remarks and for joining us this afternoon
and to thank Jennifer McDowell into chief administrative judge
Jared Rogers and also Commissioner Goodger for coordinating the event today.
Thank you for everyone who worked tirelessly to make this
brief commemoration such a success.
Well, today we celebrate the establishment
of the cornerstone of trademark enforcement and protection.
Our protection of intellectual property rights is like
so much of the fabric of our communities and societies.
It's always a work in progress.
We have the USPTO are continuously improving and building on that foundation.
The recent Trademark Modernization Act will help to ensure that we have
the appropriate tools at our disposal to continue to safeguard
and protect our national trademark system well into the future.
Thank you again to all of you for celebrating this important milestone today
and for your interest on behalf of America's visionaries,
inventors and creators. Thank you so much.