In an interesting turn of events, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) has reversed its previous decision that rejected a Catholic health care group’s attempt to register the term “IMPACT.” The term applies mainly to charitable measures and a website aimed at providing medical information to the public. However, the Board did put a restriction on another category the group was attempting to register.
This decision indicates that the TTAB sought to balance the group’s desire to protect its brand and interests against the broader need to maintain a free and open marketplace of ideas and branding terminology. By allowing the group to register “IMPACT” in certain areas, the Board is acknowledging its claim to this mark. The restriction hints at an effort to avoid undue concentration of control over certain types of branding language.
The detailed reasoning behind this partial allowance is not entirely clear from the information available. For more comprehensive insights into this decision, interested readers are advised to examine the original decision documented on Law360.