tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3829599.post110615428496338285..comments2024-01-28T00:20:40.933-08:00Comments on Agoraphilia: The Devilish Case of the Angels' NameUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3829599.post-1106672078391453552005-01-25T08:54:00.000-08:002005-01-25T08:54:00.000-08:00They just applied to register the mark two weeks a...They just applied to register the mark two weeks ago; it's not federally registered yet. The Trademark Office will almost definitely give them a hard time about whether the geographic indications are deceptive.<br /><br />But even if the USPTO refuses to register the team name, they'll still be able to use it -- unless someone sues them. You're right on this: it sounds like the City of Anaheim might have a good trademark case.Eloisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10402649250348895906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3829599.post-1106251992394735802005-01-20T12:13:00.000-08:002005-01-20T12:13:00.000-08:00Would that stand for "Certainly Maybe Sorta' Area,...Would that stand for "Certainly Maybe Sorta' Area," Gabriel?<br /><br />I'll bet we know what they *will* be called, at any rate: "The L.A. Angels." Sportscasters won't want to mess with the full name. And that is surely what the Angels' owners predict and want. Again, as I said, the new name looks and smells like a trick on consumers.Tom W. Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02790351458154066358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3829599.post-1106230485287640362005-01-20T06:14:00.000-08:002005-01-20T06:14:00.000-08:00Maybe they can call themselves "The Los Angeles CM...Maybe they can call themselves "The Los Angeles CMSA Angels of Anaheim"?<br /><br />GabrielAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3829599.post-1106177664330765102005-01-19T15:34:00.000-08:002005-01-19T15:34:00.000-08:00Gil, as I noted the amount of misdescription is a ...Gil, as I noted the amount of misdescription is a question of fact. Note, however, that *nobody* calls Orange County or Riverside County "Los Angeles." <br /><br />Los Angeleno--whoops! I mean "Anon. of 1:18"--I think you overreach. Again, it is a question of fact. And, notably, the Angels have not played in L.A. for some years. Trademarks don't exist in amber, you know. There's a strong case that whatever secondary meaning once attached to "Los Angeles Angels" has long since dissipated. Recall, after all, that the Angels gained national prominence recently, when they won the World Cup or whatever baseball fans call it, as the "Anaheim Angels."<br /><br />Also, note that the registered mark is not "Greater L.A. Area Angels of Anaheim"! It quite plainly represents the Angels's ball playing services as originating in "Los Angeles," which, plainly, they do not. I call that misdescriptive because, well, it does not accurately describe the team.Tom W. Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02790351458154066358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3829599.post-1106169508953092562005-01-19T13:18:00.000-08:002005-01-19T13:18:00.000-08:00I think your analysis here is seriously flawed. Fi...I think your analysis here is seriously flawed. First, the "Los Angeles" and "Anaheim" monikers, as attached to "Angels," have both acquired secondary meaning from the days when the team played for many years as the "Los Angeles Angels" and "Anaheim Angels." Second, your "misdescriptive" argument falters, I think, on the phrase from In Re California Innovations, "when in fact the goods do not come from that place." The Angels do in fact play in Los Angeles, if you define Los Angeles, as most people do, as encompassing "the greater Los Angeles area" and not the city of Los Angeles itself. On the logic of your argument, no business in Orange County could rightfully describe itself as a "Los Angeles" company.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3829599.post-1106169209006559912005-01-19T13:13:00.000-08:002005-01-19T13:13:00.000-08:00Hmm...
Perhaps their case is helped by the fact t...Hmm...<br /><br />Perhaps their case is helped by the fact that "Los Angeles" <I>means</I> "The Angels".<br /><br />Maybe they can argue that "Los Angeles" isn't <I>primarily geographically descriptive</I>, but is rather just making explicit a long-standing historical connection between the team and the general area called "Los Angeles".Gilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16905127825110313631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3829599.post-1106166919791865112005-01-19T12:35:00.000-08:002005-01-19T12:35:00.000-08:00Thanks for that correction. I've fixed the post. ...Thanks for that correction. I've fixed the post. It goes to show, I suppose, that I really do *not* know much about baseball!Tom W. Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02790351458154066358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3829599.post-1106164796364768002005-01-19T11:59:00.000-08:002005-01-19T11:59:00.000-08:00This is a small point, but Anaheim doesn't have a ...This is a small point, but Anaheim doesn't have a lease agreement with the A's. The A's play in Oakland and are also known as the Athletics. Interesting post, though.Maestrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00733516423927980584noreply@blogger.com