Donald Trump’s ‘Truth Social’ social network does not appear to have been the success that the former President hoped it would be, after its launch following Mr Trump being banned from Twitter. It has now run into further trouble after an attempt to trade mark the name was rejected by the US Patent and Trade Mark Office (USPTO) on the basis that the name is too similar to that of other trade marks. The USPTO held that the name Truth Social is too similar to two other businesses. One is a Christian radio service called Truth Network and the other is a social media application called Vero – True Social. The application was rejected on the basis that this similarity could cause confusion among customers, particularly in respect of the source of the goods or services offered. Trump Media and Technology, the owner of Truth Social, can appeal this decision however the chances of success in respect of such an appeal are likely to be low. On its own, this failure to trade mark the name is not too big an issue for Trump. It may impact the ability to monetise the social network but it will not stop the network’s ability to use the name. Where this may become more of an issue is that the decision of the USPTO in respect of this application would also appear to support a trade mark infringement claim by the owner of one or both of the cited marks. In such a scenario Trump might be ordered to stop using the name. If you have encountered similar issues please do not hesitate to contact the team at McDaniels Law on 0191 281 4000 or by email at legal@mcdanielslaw.com. Posted by: Megan Walker in: Trade Marks
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