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ARTICLE · 08 APRIL 2015

What’s In A (City) Name?

Stites & Harbison PLLC
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Can the name of a city serve as a trademark? Usually, it cannot. We are in Pawleys Island, South Carolina this week and there are many businesses here that incorporate the words "Pawleys Island", including Pawley’s Island Supply, Pawleys Island Realty, and Pawleys Island Mercantile.

United StatesIntellectual Property
Stites & Harbison PLLC
Stites & Harbison PLLC
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Can the name of a city serve as a trademark? Usually, it cannot. We are in Pawleys Island, South Carolina this week and there are many businesses here that incorporate the words "Pawleys Island", including Pawley's Island Supply, Pawleys Island Realty, and Pawleys Island Mercantile.

Pawleys Island Mercantile

In fact, on the way into town on US-22, we drove past three different "Myrtle Beach Welcome Centers" – which were clearly not affiliated with one another, nor with the Town of Myrtle Beach. Eventually, we saw the "Official Myrtle Beach Welcome Center." The Town of Myrtle Beach could not prevent the other "non-official welcome centers" from using the words "Myrtle Beach."

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