Trade marks can take many forms, including words, logos,
devices, product shapes, scents, tastes, and sounds. In this
article, we'll be specifically focusing on sound marks.
Porsche
Cars can take many forms too but anyone familiar with a Porsche
will know that it has a very distinctive sound. It's not the
typical "vroom vroom" or ''eat my
dust' It's quite different and distinct, and therefore
difficult to accurately express the sound that a Porsche makes in
words.
A trade mark application at the European Union
Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO)
In 2019, the company that manufactures Porsche, Dr. Ing. h.c. F.
Porsche Aktiengesellschaft applied to register the sound of a
Porsche as a trade mark. The application comprises 16 seconds of
accelerating engine noise and it covers automotive-related products
and services in classes 9, 12, 28 and 41 (vehicles fall into class
12).
