Leah Gadzikowski <lrgadz01[_at_]gwise.louisville.edu> wrote:
>
> How can Ralph Lauren sue the American Polo Association to stop them from
> using the word "Polo" then? I've always thought that this was a really
> stupid lawsuit since the game was there for a least 100 years before
> Ralph, but there it is.
Do you have a cite for the case you mention?
I believe the litigation you mention pertains to trademark, not copyright. As such, the word "polo" is not deemed protectable on its own. Rather, the word "polo" in conjunction with "by Ralph Lauren" and a Polo emblem is sufficiently distinctive to warrant trademark protection.
(See, LEXIS-NEXIS_Small 46 U.S.P.Q.2D (BNA) 1046, for example.)
Copyright protection might extend to the artwork/packaging designed for marketing Polo fragrances and cosmetics etc, but does not grant the company a legal monopoly on the word "polo" alone.
-Natalie Norman
<natalien[_at_]uswest.net>
Received on Fri Aug 28 1998 - 17:48:42 GMT
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