SNKRS Held Registerable for Nike’s Footwear-Related Services

The article entitled “SNKRS Held Registrable for Nike’s Footwear-Related Services” discusses In re Nike Inc., in which the USPTO’s denial of registration of SNKRS as generic for retails sales of sneakers was reversed. As a departure from the usual rule that misspellings of generic words are likewise considered generic, the case focuses on the types of evidence that can create a mixed consumer perception sufficient to create a registrable trademark in a misspelling of a generic term. The article, written by Karin Segall, was first published on August 18, 2024 in WTR Daily, part of World Trademark Review.