Trademark Law Archive
One Bank’s $1 Million Naming Mistake
Alliance Bank has prevailed in a trademark lawsuit against Customers 1st Bank who must now destroy all materials containing the Customer 1st name and find a replacement. Immediately. Only a few months ago, Customers 1st
Who’s First? First Michigan? Or Michigan First?
Earlier this year, Michigan First Credit Union slapped a lawsuit on First Michigan Bank for trademark infringement. (If you’re tempted to dismiss this article as having little relevance to you, at least skip ahead and
March Madness: The Do’s and Don’ts
Every Spring, financial marketers across the U.S. wonder how they can tap into the fervor the NCAA’s “March Madness” college basketball tournament. But there’s a right way and a wrong way to structure a March
Credit Union Sues Bank Over Trademarked Scarlet Letter
Trademarked red ‘M’ triggers lawsuit Two Pennsylvania financial institutions will square off in court over who can — and can’t — use a big, red “M” in their logo. In a court filing, Members 1st
Advanta Forces Avanta to Become ‘Altana’
Bank trademark trumps credit union The erstwhile Laurel Federal Credit Union is being forced to spend more than $80,000 changing names — again — five years after becoming Avanta FCU. Last year, Advanta Bank in
Get Your Financial Trademark Now, Before It’s Too Late
Financial Trademarks 1976-2008 In 1996 there were just 67,000 Class 36 trademarks on file with the USPTO. But in the last decade, that number has more than tripled. Today, there are around 250,000 registered financial
How To Look Up Your Financial Trademark in 10 Easy Steps
There are thousands of financial institutions across North America who leave some of their most valuable assets virtually unprotected. We’re talking about their trademarks — things like names, logos, slogans, products, etc. Here’s a step-by-step
Texas-Sized Trademark Trouble Brewing Over Name
Last week, The Financial Brand reported that Arp State Bank in East Texas was changing its name to American State Bank. The article noted a number of other financial institutions who already use American State
Naming SNAFUs Plague Multiple Commerce Banks
Okay, sorry, this gets a little complicated. There was a Commerce Bank in New Jersey. But earlier this year, TD Banknorth took them over. That merger created a huge naming hassle — including a lawsuit
Will the real ‘Vista Bank’ in Texas please step forward
Fight looms, confusion inevitable as two Texas banks now share ‘Vista’ name “We changed our name to soar above the crowd…to set ourselves apart.” – Security State Bank A new website for Security State Bank
Ohio Bank Learns Hard Lesson About Trademark Law
For 120 years, people in Ohio knew their bank simply as “OV.” Not any more. The bank was forced to change names by one of their competitors. The ‘Ohio Valley National Bank’ was founded in
Don’t Use Orange Circles Or ING May Sue You
Consider yourself on notice: If you are a bank or credit union using anything resembling this orange dot… …look out. Orange circles may be enough for ING to take you to court next. Last Wednesday,
Green Branch® Is a Federally Registered Trademark
“PNC has more certified green buildings than any company on Earth.” – PNC website Here’s something interesting you might not have heard. In 2008, the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office approved a federal trademark application
Update: Battle over ‘Commerce’ name heats up
Massachusetts bank puts Canada’s TD in a tough spot A U.S. District judge has issued a preliminary injuction barring TD Banknorth from using the TD Commerce name in all or parts of Massachusetts. TD Banknorth
Judge orders trademark infringer to use ‘negative keywords’
Here’s an interesting ruling in a financial trademark dispute involving Orion Bancorp (the victor) and Orion Residential Finance. The judge ordered the guilty infringer to purchase “negative keywords” through Google and other online ad systems.
‘Alabama CU’ sues ‘The Credit Union of Alabama FCU’ over name
This 23-page PDF from the U.S. District Court of Alabama should serve as a cautionary tale about what can happen if you choose a new name that’s too similar to someone else’s – especially when
Pittsburgh Teachers becomes ‘Riverset’
With $87 million in assets and 13,000 members, Pittsburgh Teachers Credit Union will officially become ‘Riverset,’ effective January 2, 2008. According to this article, President and CEO Christine Chojnicki said the credit union’s name was
NY Times classic on bank name changes
A New York Times article from 1987 says the scramble for good names causes some normally staid financial institutions to wage trademark battles. It seems some things never change, like these familiar reasons to change
Judge blocks use of bank’s ‘Citizens’ name
Citizens First is apparently the second ‘Citizens Something’ in Michigan. An article in Crain’s Detroit Business reported that Flint-based Citizens Republic won a preliminary injunction barring Citizens First from using the “Citizens” name at its
Two Fewer ‘First Federal’ Banks
Two banks sharing the same name have both decided to shed their old ‘First Federal’ monikers. One is in Souix City, Iowa, and the other is in Wabash, Indiana. The Souix City First Federal Bank
