SCT favored Jack Daniel over dog toy dispute
Today the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Jack Daniel’s in a dispute over a humorous squeaky dog toy called “Bad Spaniels.” The Court remanded the case to the Ninth Circuit to reconsider the trademark infringement and dilution claims, holding that because VIP Products used “Bad Spaniels” as a trademark: (1) the Rogers test for artistic works (discussed below) does not apply; and (2) the noncommercial use exclusion – that exempts parody from dilution – also does not apply.
Supreme Court hears trademark case involving Jack Daniel’s and dog toys, 4:38
Rogers TestはRogers v. Grimaldi 875 F.2d 994 (2d Cir. 1989)で設定され、Freedom of expresssion v. trademark protection の天秤についてのルールとなります。 a) タイトルが有名人による著作、後援、または支持を明示的に示していない場合、または b)内容に関して明らかに誤解を招いていない場合、ランハム法第 43 条 (a) は芸術作品のタイトルに有名人の名前についての最小限の関連性のある使用を禁止しない。という内容になります。
section 43(a) of the Lanham Act does not bar a minimally relevant use of a celebrity’s name in the title of an artistic work where the title does not explicitly denote authorship, sponsorship, or endorsement by the celebrity or explicitly mislead as to content.