Legal Question in Intellectual Property in Florida

Can a (state) government agency service mark a program i.e. an innovative outreach program that helps small business?


Asked on 8/20/09, 11:51 am

2 Answers from Attorneys

Quinn Johnson, Esq. Johnson PC, Attorneys at Law

Yes a state agency may file an application for federal service-mark registration for a name or symbol that identifies the agency as the source of a particular small business outreach program.

A service mark is any word, name, symbol, device, or any combination, used, or intended to be used, in commerce, to identify and distinguish the services of one provider from services provided by others, and to indicate the source of the services.

Feel free to contact my office with any additional intellectual property concerns.

THE COMMENTS CONTAINED HEREIN ARE FOR GENERAL INFORMATIONAL USE ONLY, NOT LEGAL OPINION. NO ATTORNEY/CLIENT RELATIONSHIP HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED.

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Answered on 8/20/09, 12:23 pm
Sarah Grosse Sarah Grosse, Esquire

Yes, a government agency may apply for trademark registration. For example, the State of Florida has registered a family of "MY FLORIDA..." trademarks. Florida also polices and enforces its trademark rights to the "MY FLORIDA" family of trademarks.

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Answered on 8/20/09, 12:51 pm


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