Trademarks and Free Speech: Conflicts and Resolutions [Paperback]

Explores how trademark and free speech rights can conflict and how registering certain trademarks can harm freedom of expression.This book explores how trademark and free speech rights can conflict and proposes speech-protective reforms of trademark law. It also explains why granting trademark rights in informational terms, widely used phrases, and decorative product features with substantial pre-existing communicative value can harm free expression and fair competition.This book explores how trademark and free speech rights can conflict and proposes speech-protective reforms of trademark law. It also explains why granting trademark rights in informational terms, widely used phrases, and decorative product features with substantial pre-existing communicative value can harm free expression and fair competition.This book explores how trademark laws can conflict with the right to freedom of expression and proposes a framework for evaluating free speech challenges to trademark registration and enforcement laws. It also explains why granting trademark rights in informational terms, political messages, widely used phrases, decorative product features, and other language and designs with substantial pre-existing communicative value can harm free expression and fair competition. Lisa P. Ramsey encourages governments to not register or protect broad trademark rights in these types of inherently valuable expression. She also recommends that trademark statutes explicitly allow certain informational, expressive, and decorative fair uses of another's trademark, and proposes other speech-protective and pro-competitive reforms of trademark law for consideration by legislatures, courts, and trademark offices in the United States, Europe, and other countries.Introduction; 1. Trademarks with Substantial Inherent Value; 2. When Do Trademark and Free Speech Rights Conflict?; 3. A Free Speech Framework for Trademark Law; 4. Trademark Registration Laws Can Chill Protected Speech; 5. Tradlœ