No. 19-46

United States Patent and Trademark Office, et al. v. Booking.com B.V.

Lower Court: Fourth Circuit
Docketed: 2019-07-08
Status: Judgment Issued
Type: Paid
Amici (15)Relisted (2) Experienced Counsel
Tags: civil-procedure generic-term generic-terms intellectual-property lanham-act online-business top-level-domain trademark trademark-law trademark-protection trademark-registration uspto
Key Terms:
AdministrativeLaw Antitrust Patent Trademark Copyright JusticiabilityDoctri
Latest Conference: 2019-11-08 (distributed 2 times)
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether the addition by an online business of a generic top-level domain (.com) to an otherwise generic term can create a protectable trademark"

Question Presented (from Petition)

QUESTION PRESENTED Under the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. 1051 et seq., generic terms may not be registered as trademarks. The question presented is as follows: Whether the addition by an online business of a generic top-level domain (“.com”) to an otherwise generic term can create a protectable trademark. (I)

Docket Entries

2020-08-03
JUDGMENT ISSUED.
2020-06-30
Adjudged to be AFFIRMED. Ginsburg, J., delivered the <a href = 'https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/19pdf/19-46_8n59.pdf'>opinion</a> of the Court, in which Roberts, C. J., and Thomas, Alito, Sotomayor, Kagan, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh, JJ., joined. Sotomayor, J., filed a concurring opinion. Breyer, J., filed a dissenting opinion.
2020-05-04
Argued. For petitioners: Erica L. Ross, Assistant to the Solicitor General, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C. For respondent: Lisa S. Blatt, Washington, D. C.
2020-04-15
RESCHEDULED FOR ARGUMENT on Monday, May 4, 2020.
2020-04-13
Argument to be rescheduled for May 2020.
2020-03-16
ORAL ARGUMENT POSTPONED.
2020-03-13
Reply of petitioners United States Patent and Trademark Office, et al. filed. (Distributed)
2020-02-20
The record is located on PACER. Sealed record material from the USCA 4th Circuit electronically received.
2020-02-19
Brief amici curiae of Survey Scholars and Consultants filed. (Distributed)
2020-02-19
Brief amici curiae of Salesforce.com, Inc., et al. filed. (Distributed)
2020-02-19
Brief amicus curiae of The International Trademark Association filed. (Distributed)
2020-02-19
Brief amicus curiae of The Association of Amicus Counsel filed. (Distributed)
2020-02-19
Brief amicus curiae of Intellectual Property Owners Association filed. (Distributed)
2020-02-19
Brief amici curiae of Professor Peter N. Golder, Ph.D., and other Marketing Academics filed. (Distributed)
2020-02-19
Brief amicus curiae of Internet Commerce Association filed. (Distributed)
2020-02-19
Brief amicus curiae of Boston Patent Law Association filed. (Distributed)
2020-02-19
Brief amicus curiae of The Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago filed. (Distributed)
2020-02-19
Brief amicus curiae of New York Intellectual Property Law Association filed. (Distributed)
2020-02-19
Brief amicus curiae of Coalition of .Com Brand Owners filed. (Distributed)
2020-02-19
Brief amici curiae of Trademark and Internet Law Professors filed. (Distributed)
2020-02-19
CIRCULATED
2020-02-19
Record requested from the U.S.C.A. 4th Circuit.
2020-02-12
Brief of respondent Booking.com B.V. filed.
2020-01-31
SET FOR ARGUMENT on Monday, March 23, 2020.
2020-01-13
Brief amicus curiae of Electronic Frontier Foundation filed.
2020-01-13
Brief amicus curiae of American Intellectual Property Law Association in support of neither party filed.
2020-01-13
Brief amici curiae of Trademark Scholars in support of neither party filed.
2020-01-06
Brief of petitioners United States Patent and Trademark Office, et al. filed.
2020-01-06
Joint appendix filed.
2019-12-10
Motion to extend the time to file the briefs on the merits granted. The time to file the joint appendix and petitioners' brief on the merits is extended to and including January 6, 2020. The time to file respondent's brief on the merits is extended to and including February 12, 2020.
2019-12-09
Motion for an extension of time to file the briefs on the merits filed.
2019-11-08
Petition GRANTED.
2019-11-04
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 11/8/2019.
2019-10-09
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 11/1/2019.
2019-08-21
Reply of petitioners United States Patent and Trademark Office, et al. filed.
2019-08-07
Brief of respondent Booking.com B.V. in opposition filed.
2019-07-05
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due August 7, 2019)

Attorneys

American Intellectual Property Law Association
Craig Brian WhitneyFrankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz P.C., Amicus
Craig Brian WhitneyFrankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz P.C., Amicus
Booking.com B.V.
Lisa Schiavo BlattWilliams & Connolly LLP, Respondent
Lisa Schiavo BlattWilliams & Connolly LLP, Respondent
Jonathan E. MoskinFoley & Lardner LLP, Respondent
Jonathan E. MoskinFoley & Lardner LLP, Respondent
Boston Patent Law Association
Erik Paul BeltMcCarter & English, LLP, Amicus
Erik Paul BeltMcCarter & English, LLP, Amicus
Coalition of .Com Brand Owners
Thad ChaloemtiaranaPattishall, McAuliffe, Newbury, Hillard and Geraldson, LLP, Amicus
Thad ChaloemtiaranaPattishall, McAuliffe, Newbury, Hillard and Geraldson, LLP, Amicus
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Alexandra Helen MossElectronic Frontier Foundation, Amicus
Alexandra Helen MossElectronic Frontier Foundation, Amicus
Intellectual Property Owners Assoc
Eric Robert MoranMcDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP, Amicus
Eric Robert MoranMcDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP, Amicus
Internet Commerce Association
Megan L. BrownWiley Rein LLP, Amicus
Megan L. BrownWiley Rein LLP, Amicus
New York Intellectual Property Law Association
Michael Carl CannataRivkin Radler, LLP, Amicus
Michael Carl CannataRivkin Radler, LLP, Amicus
Professor Peter N. Golder, Ph.D., and other Marketing Academics
Richard Charles Henn Jr.Kilpatrick Stockton, LLP, Amicus
Richard Charles Henn Jr.Kilpatrick Stockton, LLP, Amicus
Salesforce.com, Inc. and The Home Depot, Inc.
Thomas G. HungarGibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Amicus
Thomas G. HungarGibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Amicus
Survey Scholars and Consultants
Mark David HarrisProskauer Rose LLP, Amicus
Mark David HarrisProskauer Rose LLP, Amicus
The Association of Amicus Counsel
Charles E. MillerLeichtman Law PLLC, Amicus
Charles E. MillerLeichtman Law PLLC, Amicus
The Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago
Margaret M. DuncanLoyola University Chicago School of Law, Amicus
Margaret M. DuncanLoyola University Chicago School of Law, Amicus
The International Trademark Association
Lawrence K. NodineBallard Spahr, LLP, Amicus
Lawrence K. NodineBallard Spahr, LLP, Amicus
Trademark and Internet Law Professors
John Michael JakesFinnegan, Henderson, et al., Amicus
John Michael JakesFinnegan, Henderson, et al., Amicus
Trademark Scholars
Rebecca Leah TushnetHarvard Law School, Amicus
Rebecca Leah TushnetHarvard Law School, Amicus
United States Patent and Trademark Office, et al.
Noel J. FranciscoSolicitor General, Petitioner
Noel J. FranciscoSolicitor General, Petitioner