1

I'd like to ask about all those "X Times" newspapers. like NY Times,LA Times.
Can i create another newspaper that will have word "Times" in it? (Like "My Hobby Times")

I've checked in Trademark Database and there is about 8k live trademarks for word times and time but most are non related to newspapers.

2 Answers 2

2

I believe that "Times" (by itself), when referring to a newspaper, is a generic term and is therefore impossible to trademark.

From http://www.inta.org/TrademarkBasics/FactSheets/Pages/TrademarksvsGenericTermsFactSheet.aspx:

Generic terms are common words or terms, often found in the dictionary, that identify products and services and are not specific to any particular source. It is not possible to register as a trademark a term that is generic for the goods and/or services identified in the application. If a trademark becomes generic, often as a result of improper use, rights in the mark may no longer be enforceable.

0

This is specific to the jurisdiction in question.

In the UK, "The Times" is unambiguously understood to refer to the newspaper published in London; hence, the usage of "Times" by another newspaper in the UK could be considered confusingly similar and therefore a trademark infringement.

On the other hand, in the United States, "Times" is used by several different newspapers, among which are The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times. While I am not a lawyer and you should consult with a proper attorney for actual legal advice, using "Times" as part of the name of a newspaper is unlikely to be considered trademark infringement unless your paper bears similarities to other papers of a kind that could lead to confusion.

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .