According to an article in the Hip Hops with Evan Benn column in Stltoday.com, Attorneys for Anheuser-Busch InBev have filed federal trademark applications for “STL,” “ORD,” “MCI” and about 40 other of the nation’s busiest hubs, including LAX (Los Angeles), SFO (San Francisco), MIA (Miami), BOS (Boston) and LGA (New York LaGuardia).
It’s unclear what the brewery plans to do with the airport code trademarks. Each application carries a $275 filing fee, putting A-B’s investment about $12,000 so far.
Sound familiar? The filings are reminiscent of A-B’s trademark applications last year for about 14 other city area codes. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Monday granted A-B six-month extensions to submit Statement of Use forms, which will describe how the company is using the area codes to market beer.
I’d like to know how they expect to trademark a Federal Airport designation. Perhaps they should also pursue trademarks for IRS, DOD, FAA and DOJ!
Laughable!!
There’s a geographically descriptive restriction for trademarks, but USTPO let the area code trademark through without issue. So why not the airport codes?
Makes you wonder what the catalyst is for the legal department at AB-I…
-will
Will Blankenship
303 Brewing Company
Denver, CO
303brewing.com
Anything that isn’t really witty…
Bill