Forfeiture And Collective Membership Marks

Most marks are either trademarks (used in connection with goods) or service marks (used in connection with services). But there are a few other kinds of marks. One of those is collective membership marks. Collective membership marks are used to indicate membership in an organization rather than to indicate the source of goods or services. Many sororities and fraternities register their marks as collective membership marks, as do unions, trade organizations, and other associations. The marks may appear on membership cards, pins, and other indicia of membership in the group. By protecting the collective membership marks, the organization prevents others from falsely indicating their membership in the group.