David Gooder: Today, 75 years after passage of the
Lanham Act, our system of protecting trademarks has never been more important
to the American economy.
It's essential to brand owners large and small, old and new.
The revolution we are witnessing in the global economy, driven
by the digital transformation of every industry, especially e-commerce,
has caused the demand for new trademarks to surge to record levels.
Looking back it becomes clear that representative Fritz Lanham
was ahead of his time anticipating the need for a national trademark ecosystem,
one that today represents one of the key underpinnings of our rapidly evolving and
expanding system of global commerce.
The Lanham Act continues to provide protections to trademark owners
and the assurance brand names provide to hundreds of millions of consumers.
However these assurances and protections are only possible if we remain vigilant
in maintaining the quality and reliability of trademark registrations.
On behalf of the more than 1,000 trademark professionals at the USPTO,
and the judges and staff working at the Trademark Trial Appeal Board,
we welcome the opportunity to work with trademark practitioners and owners
to protect their valuable brands and the integrity of our trademark register.
For that we're grateful for the foresight and dedication of Fritz Lanham.
Narrator: Even before a child has learned to read or write,
they can begin to recognize trademarks.
These familiar signs and expressions help us to identify the products and
services we trust, and to avoid the ones we don't.
Each time we choose one brand over another, we owe thanks to those who shaped
trademark law, including Fritz Lanham for his work on the Lanham Act.
The father of American trademark protection, Frederick Garland Lanham (or 'Fritz')
was born January 3rd, 1880 in Weatherford, Texas.
Julie Thurmond: My grandfather, Fritz Lanham was a renaissance man.
He was humble, he was loving.
He was the most wonderful grandfather that you can imagine.
Narrator: Lanham began practicing law in Weatherford in 1909.
Ten years later, his political career began when
he won a special election to Congress in Texas's 12th congressional district, taking
the seat once held by his father Samuel Willis Tucker Lanham, as the
ranking member of the committee on patents, trademarks, and copyrights.
Lanham saw the need for legislation that would address the nation's
fragmented trademark laws.
When Fritz Lanham was first elected, there were limited protections for
trademarks.
It was challenging for businesses to take advantage of what
protections did exist, because the laws were state-by-state, confusing, and
difficult to enforce.
With notes provided by Edward S. Rogers, a lawyer and trademark expert,
Lanham spent hours developing the draft legislation that would become known as the Lanham Act.
[Music] David Gooder: This bill was designed to revolutionize
trademark law by establishing ways to protect trademarks from infringement, unfair competition,
and false advertising on a national scale, as opposed to state by
state.
In 1946, eight years after it was first introduced, the Lanham Act passed both houses
and was signed into law by President Harry S. Truman.
After having been re-elected 13 times, Lanham retired in 1947.
Fritz Lanham: "When we reflect upon the lives of men who have left their imprint upon history,
we never for an instant stop to inquire about their wealth,
but we think rather of their sterling worth, and of their works in the interest
of their fellow men."
Though the Lanham Act has been amended more than 20 times over the years,
this standing federal law remains the primary protector of trademark rights
in the U.S. and one of the most impactful accomplishments
of Lanham's legacy.
[Music] Narrator: The original Lanham Act laid the
foundation for trademark protection in the United States
and over the years it has gained significant renown around the world.
It's because of this act that we have a nationwide trademark registration system,
a uniform legal framework for addressing trademark protection,
and a law that added teeth to the universally recognized
registration symbol, the ubiquitous encircled "R".
Mary Lauren Ilagan: Trademarks have protected the single most valuable asset of the company
which is the brand, and everything that it stands for.
Trademarks protect what gives meaning to those words
to our consumers.
It's the trust that Mary Kay beauty consultants have in starting
a Mary Kay business.
It's the trust that consumers have in purchasing a Mary Kay product to know that
it's going to be a quality product and an authentic product from Mary Kay.
Narrator: Not only does the Lanham Act continue to protect businesses
but it also protects consumers. Every day,
trademarks help us to differentiate between brands and
to identify the ones we count on to deliver safe and reliable products.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office receives over three-quarters of a
million trademark applications each year and there are now more than 2.5 million marks
with active certificates of registration.
Because they are so readily recognized, trademarks represent an accessible way for
the next generation to begin learning about intellectual property
and discovering how trademark protections under the Lanham Act can help
them to make their own meaningful mark on the future.