{"id":34613,"date":"2021-08-19T14:21:27","date_gmt":"2021-08-19T08:51:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/?p=34613"},"modified":"2021-08-19T14:21:30","modified_gmt":"2021-08-19T08:51:30","slug":"hashtag-trademark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/hashtag-trademark\/","title":{"rendered":"Hashtag Trademark: Does it Exists?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">In the prevailing scenario, hashtags are aggressively used on social media platforms. The hashtag is a crucial element for boosting customer engagement. Hashtags refer to a string of terms or phrases that are generally preceded by a hash (#) symbol. It acts as a metadata tag &amp; aids the user to create, find, follow &amp; contribute to a specific conversation on social media platforms &amp; across other web-based programs. Hashtag Trademark doesn&#8217;t seem to be a feasible concept on the surface, but the fact is that the prevailing laws have got the provisions for the same. In this write-up, we will discuss the same matters.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"cursor:pointer\">Page Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/hashtag-trademark\/#Why_have_hashtags_become_so_viral_these_days\" >Why have hashtags become so viral these days?&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/hashtag-trademark\/#Hashtag_trademark_Is_it_feasible_to_get_one_legally\" >Hashtag trademark: Is it feasible to get one legally?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/hashtag-trademark\/#Norms_for_granting_Trademark_protection_to_hashtags_in_various_nations\" >Norms for granting Trademark protection to hashtags in\nvarious nations&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/hashtag-trademark\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_have_hashtags_become_so_viral_these_days\"><\/span>Why have hashtags become so viral these days?&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The hashtag comes in very handy in making the user-generated content\nviral among the target readers. The utilisation of hashtags has been on the\nrise ever since the introduction of high-speed data. This shift has compelled\nmany businesses to leverage hashtags as a primary tool to boost their online\nmarketing efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since hashtags are quite subtle in making strong customer engagement\nquickly, many companies are now using them as a substantial medium for\npromoting their products and services online. Today, the hashtag isn&#8217;t regarded\nas a buzzword anymore since its utilisation has reached a remarkable\nlevel.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, the term &#8216;NariShakti&#8217; was selected as Oxford Hindi word in 2018 because of its ever-growing popularity in the social media space. The said hashtag gained momentum in light of the matters like triple talaq and prohibition of women entry in Sabarimala Temple in <strong><em>Kerala<\/em><\/strong><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kerala\"><strong><em>[1]<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other well-known and viral hashtag in India are #photography,\n#India, #follow, #instagood, #travel etc. Large corporations like Coca-cola\nhave already availed trademark protection for hashtags like #cokecanpics and\n#smilewithacoke<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Few other examples of large entities launching hashtags to support\ntheir online campaigns are #CaughtOnDropCam by Google, #sayitwithpepsi by\nPepsi, etc.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hashtags are prominently used on social media platforms today, proving their worth in trend building and aiding businesses to market their products.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"text-left\"><b>Read our article<\/b>:<mark style=\"background: #fffd03 !important;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/document-required-for-trademark-registration-online\/\">An Overview on Document Required for Trademark Registration <\/a><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Hashtag_trademark_Is_it_feasible_to_get_one_legally\"><\/span>Hashtag trademark: Is it feasible to get one legally? <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Trademark law comprises two fundamental grounds based on which a hashtag can be filed for <a href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/trademark-registration\"><strong>Trademark registration<\/strong><\/a>. For a successful has tag trademark registration, the following conditions should be met.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>The proposed term must be\ngraphically representable<\/li><li>It must differentiate the goods\nand services of one entity from those of others.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As we can see, the first ground is fully qualified since it has a\nstring of words and numerals represented graphically. But the issue arises with\nthe subsequent condition, which acts as a significant deterrent for a hashtag\nto qualify for trademark registration.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In light of Trademark law, it would be a challenging affair to meet\nthe second condition. A Trademark act as a source identifier and the hashtags\nwhich can meet these conditions can only avail registration under the\nAct,&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Here&#8217;s what the absolute grounds of refusals cited under Section 9\n(1) of the Indian Trademark Act 1999 states;&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A Trademark that seems deceptively similar or lacks the potency to\nact as a source identifier or has no quality of being unique on its own cannot\nbe registered under Trademark Act,&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thus, the hashtag that fosters uniqueness and excels on\nnon-contradictory elements is more likely to register under Trademark\nprotection.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The trademark may be referred to as a coined word or a popular term\nthat has been in trend on social media for a while. Furthermore, it is vital to\nunderstand that merely applying a hashtag to a generic or common word would not\nearn it a tag of a distinctive trademark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The hashtag mark has to comply with certain conditions to become\neligible for trademark protection. Under the&nbsp;Trademarks Act, 1999, a mark\ncan confront upfront rejection if it lacks an element that makes it unique\ninside out. Therefore, any marks, words, or even a hashtag that fails to meet\nthe criteria of distinctiveness set out by the Trademark Law cannot rejoice the\nTrademark protection in any way. Keep in mind that generic hashtags like #9 are\nmore susceptible to rejection because they are not distinct in a literal\nsense.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hashtag trademark can only be feasible in a scenario where it can\nfulfil the underlying criteria set out by the Trademark law.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Norms_for_granting_Trademark_protection_to_hashtags_in_various_nations\"><\/span>Norms for granting Trademark protection to hashtags in\nvarious nations&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) also talks about\nthe &#8220;source identifier&#8221; concept when it comes to the grant of\ntrademark protection. According to the USPTO, the proposed mark, terms, design,\nand even hashtag should bear a certain degree of uniqueness and must act as a\nsource identifier.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Has tag Trademarks that have been registered under Trademark in the\nUSA include:&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>#smilewithacoke and\n#cokecanpics (The Coca-Cola Company)<\/li><li>#makeitcount (Nike)<\/li><li>#McDstories (McDonald&#8217;s)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The USPTO has clearly stated that what marks cannot be protected\nunder trademark cannot be registered as hashtags.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the United Kingdom, a mark is protectable if it is unique &amp;\nposses the ability to individualise the goods and services of a specific\nundertaking. If such a connection exists &amp; the mark does not confuse the\ntarget users when it&#8217;s come to source identification, then trademark protection\nis available to such marks. The same paradigm is also applied to\nhashtags,&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>IP Australia made necessary changes in the Trade Marks Office Manual\nof Practice and Procedure in 2016 to incorporate the definition for a hashtag\n&amp; facilitates provisions for businesses to follow. It also lists&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>IP Australia updated the Australian Trade Marks Office Manual of\nPractice and Procedure in 2016 to include a definition for a hashtag and offers\nsome guidelines for businesses to follow. It also enlists examples of what\ncould be perceived as vague cases, which one can perceive to realise if they\ncould also be related to the brand eligibility.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The popularity of hashtags manifests no indication of letting up. Thus, it is vital for businesses to consider the utilisation of hashtags in their branding strategies. If the decision is finalised to leverage branded hashtags, it would be prudent to seek trademark registration to safeguard your goodwill effectively and mitigate consumer confusion. Hence, it can be concluded that has tag trademark is not something that doesn&#8217;t make sense in legal parlance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"text-left\"><b>Read our article<\/b>:<mark style=\"background: #fffd03 !important;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/apply-for-online-trademark-registration-in-india\/\">How Can You Apply For Online Trademark Registration in India? <\/a><\/mark><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the prevailing scenario, hashtags are aggressively used on social media platforms. The hashtag is a crucial element for boosting customer engagement. Hashtags refer to a string of terms or phrases that are generally preceded by a hash (#) symbol. It acts as a metadata tag &amp; aids the user to create, find, follow &amp; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":34658,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[1922],"acf":{"service_id":"18"},"authorName":"Pankaj Tyagi","authorImageUrl":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/MicrosoftTeams-image-42.jpg","authorDescription":"Pankaj has a diverse experience of writing research papers, blog, and articles during his college time. Earlier, he was working as a tax consultant in a financial firm, but his interest in writing drives him to pursue a career in the writing field.","postViews":3669,"readingTime":4,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34613"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34613"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34613\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34659,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34613\/revisions\/34659"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34658"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}