A mark by which the goods or services of any applicant for registration may be distinguished from the goods or services of others shall not be registered if it:

(1) Consists of or comprises immoral, deceptive, or scandalous matter;
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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 47-25-502

  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Mark: includes any trademark or service mark, entitled to registration under this part whether registered or not. See Tennessee Code 47-25-501
  • Secretary: means the secretary of state or the designee of the secretary charged with the administration of this part. See Tennessee Code 47-25-501
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Trade name: means any name used by a person to identify a business or vocation of such person. See Tennessee Code 47-25-501
  • United States: includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Use: means the bona fide use of a mark in the ordinary course of trade, and not made merely to reserve a right in a mark. See Tennessee Code 47-25-501
  • written: includes printing, typewriting, engraving, lithography, and any other mode of representing words and letters. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(2) Consists of or comprises matter which may disparage or falsely suggest a connection with persons, living or dead, institutions, beliefs, or national symbols, or bring them into contempt, or disrepute;
(3) Consists of or comprises the flag or coat of arms, or other insignia of the United States, or of any state or municipality, or of any foreign nation, or any simulation thereof;
(4) Consists of or comprises the name, signature, or portrait identifying a particular living individual, except with that individual’s written consent;
(5) Consists of a mark which:

(A) When used on or in connection with the goods or services of the applicant, is merely descriptive or deceptively misdescriptive of them;
(B) When used on or in connection with the goods or services of the applicant is primarily geographically descriptive or deceptively misdescriptive of them; or
(C) Is primarily merely a surname;

provided, that nothing in this subdivision (5) shall prevent the registration of a mark used by the applicant which has become distinctive of the applicant’s goods or services. The secretary may accept as evidence that the mark has become distinctive, as used on or in connection with the applicant’s goods or services, proof of continuous use thereof as a mark by the applicant in this state for the five (5) years before the date on which the claim of distinctiveness is made; or

(6) Consists of or comprises a mark which so resembles a mark registered in this state or a mark or trade name previously used by another and not abandoned, as to be likely, when used on or in connection with the goods or services of the applicant, to cause confusion, mistake or deception.
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