In a recent decision, the Federal Circuit upheld the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s ruling, denying a trademark registration for “Yucatán Shrimp” sought by a Florida-based author and restaurateur. The trademark application was tied to a restaurant that bears the namesake of the applicant’s crime-themed literature. The court agreed with the USPTO’s assessment that the term was simply descriptive of the dish served and did not meet the distinctiveness criteria necessary for trademark protection.
For more detailed coverage, the article by Adam Lidgett on this ruling can be accessed on Law360.