Online churches have emerged as a new area where legal issues are surfacing, the most recent one being a trademark dispute. Recently, an online church presented its case in front of a Federal Circuit panel, challenging the legal setback it had encountered trying to trademark the phrase “get ordained.”
Quick to draw attention was the fact that one of the judges repeatedly questioned the church on their rationale for the claim, specifically probing whether the phrase was nothing more than “descriptive.” This focus on semantics not only adds complexity to the issue at hand but also casts light on the broader issue of how our legal system interprets language in the digital age.
It is also notable that the phrase the church was attempting to trademark is not only commonly used, but also forms a crucial part of religious discourse in the digital realm. While common phrases are usually not trademarked, there have been exceptions, and it remains to be seen where this case will fall.
As this case unfolds, legal professionals, especially those dealing with intellectual property rights, would do well to follow its development closely. The outcome of this case could influence how language is treated in terms of trademark in the age of digital congregations and, more generally, in the increasingly digital context of our lives.
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