Happy Birthday, Lanham Act!!
75 Years on 5 July 2021
On 5 July 1946, the federal legislation (the Lanham Act) protecting trademarks in the United States became law. The Lanham Act is named for the Congressman from Texas, Fritz G. Lanham. It remains--with a few additions over the years--the primary protection for businesses against trademark infringement and unfair competition. It has added protections against cybersquatting and infringement in the context of the internet to address trademarks in the context of the new technologies.
Types of IP
Trademarks are often the most valuable intellectual asset of a business.
As valuable as trademarks may be, it is difficult to place an absolute value on any given trademark. However, that does not keep some companies from trying to do just that. Interbrand is one of several companies that applies a proprietary algorithm to determine the most valuable brands and publishes those every October on their website. Interbrand also breaks out the brands by industry sector--very interesting information.