Trademark case: In re JC Hospitality LLC, USA

Refusal of THE JOINT trademark application was affirmed on the grounds that the mark was merely descriptive of the applicant’s hospitality business services and acquired distinctiveness was not demonstrated.

A hospitality services’ applications to register the mark "THE JOINT" for two different classes of services were properly refused because the mark was merely descriptive of the applied-for restaurant and entertainment services and the applicant did not demonstrate acquired distinctiveness, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has determined. Thus, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board’s order refusing registration of both proposed marks was affirmed (In re JC Hospitality LLC, February 28, 2020, Prost, S.).

Case date: 28 February 2020

Case number: Nos. 2018-2048

Court: United States Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit

A full summary of this case has been published on Kluwer IP Law.