23
本月專題
非傳統商標保護常見問題之探討
104.02 智慧財產權月刊 VOL.194
案例
2
:註冊第
3140701
號
由美商
The Smead Manufacturing Company Corporation
於
2005
年
6
月
13
日申請,
指定使用於第
16
類「辦公室用品,即檔案夾、文件套、多層式檔案文件資料夾」
等商品,商標圖樣描述:本商標係由蘋果汁味道或香氣所組成之氣味商標。依
據美國商標審查基準(
TMEP
)§
1202.13
26
,產品的氣味若非屬功能性應可利用
後天識別性來取得註冊。
TMEP
§
1202.02
(
a
)(
viii
)
27
亦以空氣芳香劑為例,
說明了申請人若欲以氣味作為商標,指定使用於第
3
類「空氣芳香劑」商品,因
為該氣味對於指定使用之商品具功能性,因此無法取得註冊。另依據
TMEP
§
807.09
,如果是氣味商標,申請人應清楚明確表明本商標是「非視覺可感知的商
標(
NON-VISUAL MARK
)」,而無須檢送商標圖樣
28
。而
TMEP
§
904.03
(
m
)
也指出,在多數的實務案例中,所檢送的樣本或證據資料包括商品的實際使用,
而有氣味的貼紙或標籤
29
亦可接受將其視為商品包裝之一部分,可以用來識別商
品的來源,本案准予註冊在輔助註冊簿。
26
TMEP
§
1202.13: The scent of a product may be registrable if it is used in a nonfunctional manner.
When a scent is not functional, it may be registered only on a showing of acquired distinctiveness
under
§
2
(
f
)
of the Lanham Act. The amount of evidence required to establish that a scent or
fragrance functions as a mark is substantial.
27
TMEP
§
1202.02
(
a
)(
viii
)
: For example, an application to register a scent for an air freshener
must be refused as functional, as the proposed mark is essential to the use or purpose of the goods.
28
Michael Gannon, Registration and Protection of Non-Traditional Trademarks in the United States: An
At-A-Glance Guide to the Statutory, Regulatory, and Case Law Framework, 7. INTA
(
Host
)
, USA.
(
2012
)
.
29
USPTO, TESS, The mark consists of an apple cider scent or fragrance. available at
.
gov/documentviewer?caseId=sn78649230&docId=SPE20060629172324#docIndex=7&page=1
(
last
visited Nov. 03, 2014
)
.