Editorial Notes
References in Text
Acts
March 3, 1881
, and
February 20, 1905
, referred to in subsec. (c)(2)(A)(iv), (6), are acts Mar. 3, 1881, ch. 138,
21 Stat. 502
, and Feb. 20, 1905, ch. 592,
33 Stat. 724
, which were repealed insofar as inconsistent with this chapter by act July 5, 1946, ch. 540, § 46(a),
60 Stat. 444
. Act
Feb. 20, 1905
, was classified to sections
81
to
109
of this title.
Constitutionality
For information regarding the constitutionality of this section, see the Table of Laws Held Unconstitutional in Whole or in Part by the Supreme Court on the Constitution Annotated website, constitution.
congress
.gov.
Prior Provisions
Act Mar. 19, 1920, ch. 104, § 3,
41 Stat. 534
Amendments
2012—Subsec. (c)(6).
Pub. L. 112–190
added subpars. (A) and (B) and struck out former subpars. (A) and (B) which read as follows:
“(A)(i) is brought by another
person
under the common law or a statute of a State; and
“(ii) seeks to prevent dilution by blurring or dilution by tarnishment; or
“(B) asserts any claim of actual or likely damage or harm to the distinctiveness or reputation of a
mark
, label, or form of advertisement.”
2006—Subsec. (c).
Pub. L. 109–312, § 2(1)
, added subsec. (c) and struck out former subsec. (c) which related to remedies for dilution of famous
marks.
Subsec. (d)(1)(B)(i)(IX).
Pub. L. 109–312, § 2(2)
, substituted “subsection (c)” for “subsection (c)(1)”.
1999—Subsec. (a)(3).
Pub. L. 106–43, § 5
, added par. (3).
Subsec. (c)(2).
Pub. L. 106–43, § 3(a)(2)
, inserted “as set forth in
section 1116 of this title
” after “relief” in first sentence.
Subsec. (d).
Pub. L. 106–113
added subsec. (d).
1996—Subsec. (c).
Pub. L. 104–98
added subsec. (c).
1992—Subsec. (a).
Pub. L. 102–542
designated existing provisions as par. (1), redesignated former pars. (1) and (2) as subpars. (A) and (B), respectively, and added par. (2).
1988—Subsec. (a).
Pub. L. 100–667
amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows:
“Any person
who shall affix, apply, or annex, or
use
in connection with any goods or services, or any container or containers for goods, a false designation of origin, or any false description or representation, including words or other symbols tending falsely to describe or represent the same, and shall cause such goods or services to enter into
commerce,
and
any person
who shall with knowledge of the falsity of such designation of origin or description or representation cause or procure the same to be transported or used in
commerce
or deliver the same to any carrier to be transported or used, shall be liable to a civil action by
any person
doing business in the locality falsely indicated as that of origin or in the region in which said locality is situated, or by
any person
who believes that he is or is likely to be damaged by the
use
of any such false description or representation.”
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 2012 Amendment
Pub. L. 112–190, § 1(b)
Oct. 5, 2012
126 Stat. 1436
, provided that:
“The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall apply to any action commenced on or after the date of the enactment of this Act [
Oct. 5, 2012
].”
Repeal and Effect on Existing Rights
Repeal of inconsistent provisions, effect of this chapter on pending proceedings and existing registrations and rights under prior acts, see notes set out under
section 1051 of this title
Study on Abusive Domain Name Registrations Involving Personal Names
Pub. L. 106–113, div. B, § 1000(a)(9) [title III, § 3006]
Nov. 29, 1999
113 Stat. 1536
, 1501A–550, provided that:
“(a)
In General.—
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [
Nov. 29, 1999
], the
Secretary of Commerce
, in consultation with the Patent and
Trademark
Office and the
Federal Election Commission
, shall conduct a study and report to
Congress
with recommendations on guidelines and procedures for resolving disputes involving the registration or
use
by a
person
of a
domain name
that includes the personal name of another
person,
in whole or in part, or a name confusingly similar thereto, including consideration of and recommendations for—
“(1)
protecting personal names from registration by another
person
as a second level
domain name
for purposes of selling or otherwise transferring such
domain name
to such other
person
or any third party for financial gain;
“(2)
protecting individuals from bad faith
uses
of their personal names as second level
domain names
by others with malicious intent to harm the reputation of the individual or the goodwill associated with that individual’s name;
“(3)
protecting consumers from the registration and
use
of
domain names
that include personal names in the second level domain in manners which are intended or are likely to confuse or deceive the public as to the affiliation, connection, or association of the
domain name
registrant, or a site accessible under the
domain name
, with such other
person,
or as to the origin, sponsorship, or approval of the goods, services, or commercial activities of the
domain name
registrant;
“(4)
protecting the public from registration of
domain names
that include the personal names of government officials, official candidates, and potential official candidates for Federal, State, or local political office in the United States, and the
use
of such
domain names
in a manner that disrupts the electoral process or the public’s ability to access accurate and reliable information regarding such individuals;
“(5)
existing remedies, whether under State law or otherwise, and the extent to which such remedies are sufficient to address the considerations described in paragraphs (1) through (4); and
“(6)
the guidelines, procedures, and policies of the
Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers and the extent to which they address the considerations described in paragraphs (1) through (4).
“(b)
Guidelines and Procedures.—
The
Secretary of Commerce
shall, under its Memorandum of Understanding with the
Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, collaborate to develop guidelines and procedures for resolving disputes involving the registration or
use
by a
person
of a
domain name
that includes the personal name of another
person,
in whole or in part, or a name confusingly similar thereto.”