• Trademark Infringement

Is using an acronym of a trademark an infringement?

 

Trademark infringement cases can get tricky at times. You might have used the acronyms of another company’s trademark and nothing happened. Then the next time you do this you get accused of trademark infringement. Now, whether you do it intentionally or not, is using an acronym of another trademark really an infringement?

 

For your own trademark...

Firstly, if you use only the acronym of your own trademark for your product, they will not be protected unless you register the acronyms as well. So, if you want to include the acronym of your trademark itself, then you should file for it in another application. Sure, you might pay additionally for the registration, but just think of it as extra security.

 

Using the acronyms of another trademark

The same idea applies as said above. It is not considered infringement if the other party did not have the acronyms of their trademark registered. If they did, then obviously using it as an unauthorized party will leave you more vulnerable to claims of trademark infringement. As a matter of fact, you should also try to include acronyms in your trademark searches just to be sure.

 

Acronym trademarks as a whole

A lot of businesses use acronyms as trademarks because they are easier to remember and, more often than not, can invite a lot of attention. However, when it comes to legal cases like infringement accusation, they can get pretty problematic. Acronyms that stem from more generic terms, for example, are more likely to cause confusion within the market and that is why they are discouraged if an owner wants to avoid getting caught in mark infringement.

Again, if you want the acronyms of your trademark to also be protected under the trademark law, you should have them registered as well.