Volume VII

Issue : 12: September 10, 2009

• Microsoft Obtains Stay of Injunction Prohibiting Sales of MS Word
• Apple Sued For Copyright Infringement for i.TV App Icon
• Court Decides Against Injunction for Misleading Internet Speed
• Twitter Preliminarily Denied TWEET Trade Mark
• Century 21 Sues Rogers Over Copyright Infringement
• DISH Ordered to Pay US$200M to TiVo But Not Found Wilful
• McDonalds Does Not Have Exclusive Right to Mc Prefix in Malaysia
• Facebook to Comply with Canadian Privacy Recommendations

Home > Volume VII > Issue 12: September 10, 2009 > Twitter Preliminarily Denied TWEET Trade Mark

Twitter Preliminarily Denied TWEET Trade Mark

In April, 2009 Twitter filed for a trade-mark to use “TWEET” in connection with its services. However, on July 1, 2009, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) preliminarily rejected the application in light of other applications by third party companies that included the word “TWEET” (such as “TWEETPHOTO”). Notably, these applications had been filed before Twitter’s, and the USPTO found that they may be confusing with a “TWEET” trade-mark.

On the very day that the USPTO released its preliminary decision, a Twitter co-founder wrote on a blog that Twitter had no intention of asserting its interest in the word “TWEET” against those applications and services using the word in their name in association with Twitter. This policy may have contributed to having multiple trade-marks including the word “TWEET”.

For additional information, visit:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/aug/21/twitter-trademark-tweet-application-fails