Famous brands are those that have an immediate connection in consumers' minds to a specific product or service and the source of that product or service. Examples of famous brands include APPLE, COCA-COLA, MCDONALDS and NIKE. Some examples of famous brands include Apple, McDonald's, Adidas, and other famous names. These brands are better protected because of their popularity.
Christopher Renk, lawyer at intellectual property law firm Banner & Witcoff, explains that “the entrepreneur stays in the middle, leaving a lot of room for people to argue about whether it is valid or not. For many companies, that's an argument worth winning. Google, Walmart and Microsoft — all brand names — represent a significant part of the total value of their owners. What is a famous or well-known brand? Examples of famous brands include GOOGLE, WALMART, VODAFONE, ROLEX, CLOROX, KODAK, VICTORIA SECRET and EXXON.
A brand is considered famous under the Lanham Act if it is considered widely recognized in the United States. If you need help learning more about famous brands, and how you can get famous brand status, you can post your legal need on the UpCounsel marketplace. The Paris Convention (Article 6bis) and the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) (Article 1) establish international standards for the protection of famous and well-known trademarks. There are many factors that a court will consider in determining whether or not a specific brand has the degree of recognition to make it famous.
Sometimes (but not always) that's enough to make a brand “famous” for trademark law purposes. A famous or well-known brand is a trademark that, in view of its widespread reputation or recognition, may enjoy broader protection than a common brand. While most countries recognize famous brands, there can be confusion and sometimes disagreement about what constitutes a famous brand versus a well-known brand. These brands are famous to the general public because the name or symbol is familiar to the public, regardless of whether certain people buy that product or not.
We support the effective enforcement of well-known brands around the world and are committed to helping governments meet their international treaty obligations to protect famous and well-known brands. On the contrary, a famous brand is considered to be a brand that is well known and has a high degree of reputation associated with it. Courts have routinely identified several trademarks as “famous”, including Budweiser beer, Camel cigarettes, Starbucks coffee, Pepsi and Barbie dolls. To become famous, companies must submit proof and proof of how and why the brand must be famous.
Businesses can greatly benefit from a famous brand, as consumers often rely on symbols to identify the quality they seek in a product or service. Therefore, the famous Pepsi brand could be diluted by allowing its use with building materials (even if the public is not confused). While some courts may use the terms well-known and famous brands interchangeably, there is a difference between the two.
