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ARTICLE · 13 MAY 2025

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Trade Mark Dispute: STANLEY vs. STANLEY

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There are two very popular and well-known companies that use the trade mark STANLEY.

South AfricaIntellectual Property
Craig Shapiro
Craig Shapiro
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Background

There are two very popular and well-known companies that use the trade mark STANLEY. The first is Stanley Black & Decker ("SBD"), which produces STANLEY tools, and the other is Pacific Market International ("PMI"), which makes the viral and ever-popular beverage containers.

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SBD was founded in 1843 and has made use of the STANLEY trademark since then.

The first use of the STANLEY trade mark for a steel insulated vacuum bottle was in 1913.

You might be surprised to find out that these two companies have a decades-long coexistence agreement restricting PMI's use of the STANLEY trade mark "insulated containers adapted to keep their contents hot or cold."

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