[Upd-discuss] Chamber Applauds House Passage of Trademark Dilution Revision Act

[robert weissman]

September 26, 2006

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Press Statement

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Chamber Applauds House Passage
of Trademark Dilution Revision Act

WASHINGTON, D.C.--The United States Chamber of Commerce
applauded the passage of H.R. 683, the Trademark Dilution
Revision Act, by the House of Representatives last night.

"This is a well-rounded, well-conceived law that brings clarity
to our domestic intellectual property rights statute. Without
it, American brand owners would be susceptible to having their
reputations tarnished and the distinctiveness of their
trademarks blurred," said Bruce Josten, Chamber executive vice
president for Government Affairs.

H.R. 683 aids American businesses of all sizes by stating with
certainty the uses of a famous trademark that are permissible
and what might be actionable trademark dilution under the new
statute. The bill explicitly defines fame for the first time in
the context of trademark law and provides tests as to what
constitutes dilution by blurring and dilution by tarnishment.

"Since the Supreme Court's 2003 ruling in the case of Moseley v.
V Secret, America's famous mark owners have been left without
effective protection for their trademark. This bill will protect
brand owners by providing a more precise and limited definition
for what constitutes a famous trademark," said Josten.

The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation
representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of
every size, sector and region.
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