The US-based company Safe Skies successfully revoked a European trademark ‘TSA lock’ registered by Travel Sentry for classes:

Class 6: Metal locks (for luggage).

Class 18: Bags; backpacks, canvas backpacks, athletics bags, carry-on bags, gym bags, travel bags, beach bags, briefcases, purses, suitcases, trunks, luggage, straps for luggage, waist packs, and wallets.

Class 20: Non-metal locks (for luggage).

The ground for this revocation was Article 58(1)(b) and (c) EUTMR:

The rights of the proprietor of the EU trade mark shall be declared to be revoked on application to the Office or on the basis of a counterclaim in infringement proceedings:

(b) if, in consequence of acts or inactivity of the proprietor, the trademark has become the common name in the trade for a product or service in respect of which it is registered;

(c) if, in consequence of the use made of the trademark by the proprietor of the trademark or with his consent in respect of the goods or services for which it is registered, the trademark is liable to mislead the public, particularly as to the nature, quality or geographical origin of those goods or services.

According to Safe Skies, this trademark hadn’t been used as a trademark sign but only as a product name. In the case at hand, TSA lock’ was in use for special type of lock for luggage which allows Border Agencies to open it using a universal master key.

EUIPO revoked the trademark dismissing the owner’s arguments that nobody in the EU understands TSA as an abbreviation for Transportation Security Administration.

According to the Office, this is irrelevant because the consumers of this product named it as TSA lock not perceiving it as a trademark sign.

The submitted pieces of evidence weren’t enough to overcome this conclusion.

This case, although rare, is very essential when it comes to trademark protection because it shows clearly what is the danger when one trademark is used as a product name which sometimes is very tempting from marketing point of view.

Source: WIPR.