Federal Appeals Court Upholds Ruling on “Vetements” Trademark, Citing Generic Nature

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has upheld a decision denying trademark registrations for the word “Vetements” related to clothing. In a noteworthy ruling, the court stated that the term is deemed generic because it directly translates to “clothing” in French. As established in this ruling, terms that are generic and descriptive of their goods or services cannot be registered as trademarks under trademark law. This decision highlights the ongoing challenges faced by entities attempting to secure brand names that are perceived as commonplace in foreign languages.