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The Legislative Service Commission staff updates the Revised Code on an ongoing basis, as it completes its act review of enacted legislation. Updates may be slower during some times of the year, depending on the volume of enacted legislation.

Chapter 1329 | Labels And Marks

 
 
 
Section
Section 1329.01 | Registration of trade name definitions - registration of trade name or report of fictitious name.
 

(A) As used in sections 1329.01 to 1329.10 of the Revised Code:

(1) "Trade name" means a name used in business or trade to designate the business of the user and to which the user asserts a right to exclusive use.

(2) "Fictitious name" means a name used in business or trade that is fictitious and that the user has not registered or is not entitled to register as a trade name. It does not include the name of record of any domestic corporation that is formed under Chapter 1701. or 1702. of the Revised Code, any foreign corporation that is registered pursuant to Chapter 1703. of the Revised Code, any domestic or foreign limited liability company that is formed under or registered pursuant to Chapter 1705. or 1706. of the Revised Code, any domestic or foreign limited partnership that is formed under or registered pursuant to Chapter 1782. of the Revised Code, or any domestic or foreign limited liability partnership that is formed under or registered pursuant to Chapter 1775. or 1776. of the Revised Code.

(3) "Person" includes any individual, general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, corporation, association, professional association, limited liability company, society, foundation, federation, or organization formed under the laws of this state or any other state.

(B) Except as provided in section 1701.041 of the Revised Code and subject to sections 1329.01 to 1329.10 of the Revised Code, any person may register with the secretary of state, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, any trade name under which the person is operating, setting forth all of the following:

(1) The name and business address of the applicant for registration and any of the following that is applicable:

(a) If the applicant is a general partnership, the name and address of at least one partner or the identifying number the secretary of state assigns to the partnership pursuant to section 1776.05 of the Revised Code;

(b) If the applicant is a limited partnership, a corporation, professional association, limited liability company, or other entity, the form of the entity and the state under the laws of which it was formed.

(2) The trade name to be registered;

(3) The general nature of the business conducted by the applicant;

(4) The length of time during which the trade name has been used by the applicant in business operations in this state.

(C) The trade name application shall be signed by the applicant or by any authorized representative of the applicant.

A single trade name may be registered upon each trade name application submitted under sections 1329.01 to 1329.10 of the Revised Code.

The trade name application shall be accompanied by a filing fee of thirty-nine dollars, payable to the secretary of state.

(D) Any person who does business under a fictitious name and who has not registered and does not wish to register the fictitious name as a trade name or who cannot do so because the name is not available for registration shall report the use of the fictitious name to the secretary of state, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, setting forth all of the following:

(1) The name and business address of the user and any of the following that is applicable:

(a) If the user is a general partnership, the name and address of at least one partner or the identifying number the secretary of state assigns to the partnership pursuant to section 1775.105 of the Revised Code;

(b) If the user is a limited partnership, a corporation, professional association, limited liability company, or other entity, the form of the entity and the state under whose laws it was formed.

(2) The fictitious name being used;

(3) The general nature of the business conducted by the user.

(E) The report of use of a fictitious name shall be signed by the user or by any authorized representative of the user.

A single fictitious name may be registered upon each fictitious name report submitted under sections 1329.01 to 1329.10 of the Revised Code.

The fictitious name report shall be accompanied by a filing fee of thirty-nine dollars, payable to the secretary of state.

A report under this division shall be made within thirty days after the date of the first use of the fictitious name.

Last updated September 9, 2021 at 11:41 AM

Section 1329.02 | Restrictions against filing.
 

(A) The secretary of state shall not file an application for the registration of any trade name if the application indicates or implies that the trade name is connected with a government agency of this state, another state, or the United States and the trade name is not so connected or if the application indicates or implies that the applicant is incorporated and the application is not incorporated. Additionally, the secretary of state shall not file an application for the registration of any trade name if it is not distinguishable upon the records in the office of the secretary of state from any other trade name previously registered under sections 1329.01 to 1329.03 of the Revised Code, any corporate name, whether nonprofit or for profit and whether that of a domestic corporation or of a foreign corporation authorized to do business in this state, the name of any limited liability company registered in the office of the secretary of state pursuant to Chapter 1705. or 1706. of the Revised Code, whether domestic or foreign, the name of any limited liability partnership registered in the office of the secretary of state pursuant to Chapter 1775. or 1776. of the Revised Code, whether domestic or foreign, the name of any limited partnership registered in the office of the secretary of state pursuant to Chapter 1782. of the Revised Code, whether domestic or foreign, or any trademark, or service mark previously filed and recorded in the office of the secretary of state and not abandoned, unless the written consent of the corporation, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, or limited partnership, or the person to whom is registered the exclusive right to use the trade name is filed in accordance with division (C) of section 1701.05 of the Revised Code with the application or the written consent of the former registrant of the trademark or service mark is filed with the application. The application for the registration of a trade name and the consent form shall be on a form prescribed by the secretary of state.

(B) The secretary of state shall determine for purposes of this section whether a name is distinguishable from another name in a manner consistent with the provisions of division (B) of section 1701.05 of the Revised Code.

Last updated September 9, 2021 at 11:42 AM

Section 1329.03 | Acceptance of document for filing - copy.
 

Upon compliance by the applicant or user with the requirements of sections 1329.01 to 1329.10 of the Revised Code, the secretary of state shall accept a document for filing and make a copy of the document by microfilm or by any authorized photostatic or digitized process. Evidence of the filing shall be returned to the person filing the document.

Section 1329.04 | Effective term of registration or report - renewal notice.
 

Registration of a trade name or report of a fictitious name, under sections 1329.01 to 1329.10 of the Revised Code, shall be effective for a term of five years from the date of registration or report. Upon application filed within six months prior to the expiration of such term, on a form furnished by the secretary of state, the registration or report may be renewed at the end of each five-year period for a like term, provided that a general partnership shall renew its registration or report whenever any partner named on its registration or report ceases to be a partner. Such a renewal shall extend the registration or report for five years, unless further changes occur in the interim. The renewal fee specified in division (S)(3) of section 111.16 of the Revised Code, payable to the secretary of state, shall accompany the application for renewal of the registration or report.

The secretary of state shall notify persons who have registered trade names or reported fictitious names, within the six months next preceding the expiration of the five years from the date of registration or report, of the necessity of renewal by ordinary or electronic mail to the last known physical or electronic mail address of such persons.

Section 1329.06 | Name to be assignable.
 

Any trade name or fictitious name and its registration or report shall be assignable by an instrument in writing duly executed and may be recorded with the secretary of state upon the payment of the fee specified in division (S)(4) of section 111.16 of the Revised Code, payable to the secretary of state, who, recording the assignment, shall issue in the name of the assignee a new certificate for the remainder of the term of the registration or report or the last renewal thereof. The instrument shall be on a form prescribed by the secretary of state.

Section 1329.07 | Change of business address.
 

The registrant of any trade name or a person who reports a fictitious name shall record all changes of the registrant's business address by filing with the secretary of state a statement in writing, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, setting forth the name previously registered or reported, the date of the registration or report, and the new address of the applicant. The filing fee specified in division (S)(4) of section 111.16 of the Revised Code shall accompany the statement.

Section 1329.08 | Cancellation of registration by secretary of state.
 

The secretary of state shall cancel from the secretary of state's files:

(A) Any registration concerning which the secretary of state receives a voluntary request in writing, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, for cancellation of the registration from the registrant or the assignee of record;

(B) All registrations granted under sections 1329.01 to 1329.10 of the Revised Code that are not renewed in accordance with sections 1329.01 to 1329.10 of the Revised Code;

(C) Any registration that the secretary of state finds was granted improperly;

(D) Any registration ordered cancelled by a court of competent jurisdiction on any ground.

Section 1329.09 | Records to be kept for public examination.
 

The secretary of state shall keep for public examination a record of all trade names registered and fictitious names reported or renewed under sections 1329.01 to 1329.10 of the Revised Code.

Section 1329.10 | Injunction - actions by and against user of trade name or fictitious name.
 

(A) The attorney general, upon the request of the secretary of state, shall bring an action for an injunction against any person who violates section 1329.01 or 1329.07 of the Revised Code, and who, after proper notification by the secretary of state, refuses or fails to comply with such section.

(B) No person doing business under a trade name or fictitious name shall commence or maintain an action in the trade name or fictitious name in any court in this state or on account of any contracts made or transactions had in the trade name or fictitious name until it has first complied with section 1329.01 of the Revised Code and, if the person is a partnership, it has complied with section 1777.02 of the Revised Code, but upon compliance, such an action may be commenced or maintained on any contracts and transactions entered into prior to compliance.

(C) An action may be commenced or maintained against the user of a trade name or fictitious name whether or not the name has been registered or reported in compliance with section 1329.01 of the Revised Code.

Section 1329.26 | Manufacture or sale of goods marked sterling or sterling silver.
 

No person shall make, sell, or offer to sell or dispose of, or have in his possession with intent to sell or dispose of, an article of merchandise marked, stamped, or branded "sterling" or "sterling silver," or encased or enclosed in a box, package, cover, wrapper, or other thing having thereon an engraving or printed label, stamp, imprint, mark, or trade-mark, indicating or denoting that such article is silver, sterling silver, or solid silver, unless nine hundred and twenty-five one-thousandths parts of the metal of which such article is manufactured is pure silver.

Section 1329.27 | Manufacture or sale of goods improperly marked coin or coin silver.
 

No person shall make, sell, or offer to sell or dispose of, or have in his possession with intent to sell or dispose of, an article of merchandise marked, stamped, or branded "coin" or "coin silver," or encased or enclosed in a box, package, cover, or wrapper or other thing, having thereon an engraving or printed label, stamp, imprint, mark, or trade-mark, indicating or denoting that such article is coin or coin silver, unless nine hundred one-thousandths parts of the metal of which such article is manufactured is pure silver.

Section 1329.29 | Misrepresentation in sale of kosher foods.
 

(A) No person shall do any of the following:

(1) Sell or expose for sale at retail, or manufacture, any meat or meat preparations or any fowl or preparations from fowl and falsely represent the same to be "kosher" or as having been prepared under, and of a product or products sanctioned by, the Orthodox Hebrew religious requirements;

(2) Falsely represent any food products or the contents of any package or container to be constituted and prepared as described in division (A)(1) of this section by having or permitting to be inscribed thereon "kosher," "kosher style," "kosher type," "kosher for passover," "Jewish," or "Hebrew" in any language, or have "kosher," "kosher style," "kosher type," "kosher for passover," "Jewish," or "Hebrew" inscribed on the front of any retail business establishment in any language except the terms "Jewish," "Hebrew," "kosher style," or "kosher type" may be used on packages or containers only if the packages or containers are also marked "nonkosher" in easily readable print;

(3) Sell or expose for sale at retail in the same place of business both kosher and nonkosher meat or meat preparations either raw or prepared for human consumption unless he indicates on his window signs and all display advertising in block letters at least four inches in height, "kosher and nonkosher food served here." However, if the person sells only kosher meat or kosher meat preparations that are prepackaged for sale, he is exempt from this division.

(4) Make any direct statement, either orally or in writing, display the words "kosher," "kosher style," "kosher type," "kosher for passover," "Jewish," or "Hebrew" in any language, or display any insignia, six-pointed star, or other mark that might reasonably be calculated to deceive or lead a reasonable person to believe a product is "kosher" or sanctioned by Orthodox Hebrew religious requirements, if it is not.

(B) All prepackaged meats and poultry sold or exposed for sale at retail as "kosher" shall be soaked and salted. All other fresh meats and poultry sold or exposed for sale at retail as "kosher" shall be marked, on the label when packaged or by a sign when not packaged, with the words "soaked and salted" or "not soaked and salted," whichever is applicable. All advertisements for food or food products sold or exposed for sale as "kosher" under rabbinical supervision must identify the name of the rabbi or organization, if any, that certified the food or food products as being "kosher."

(C) Any retailer who, at the end of the business day on the effective date of this amendment, has in his inventory products that are not "kosher" but are marked "kosher style," "kosher type," "kosher for passover," "Jewish," or "Hebrew" may continue to sell those products if he marks them "nonkosher" either on their labels or on display advertising in block letters at least four inches in height.

(D) The department of agriculture shall enforce this section and for such purpose any person designated by the department may enter upon premises where food represented to be kosher is sold or exposed for sale, at any reasonable time during business hours to inspect such food.

Whenever the department determines that a person is violating this section and has received no previous warning under this section, it shall issue a warning to that person specifying what actions he needs to take in order to comply with this section and notifying him that he has ten days after his receipt of the warning to take those actions. If, at the end of the ten-day period, the department determines that the person still is not in compliance with this section, the violator is subject to strict criminal liability, as provided in division (B) of section 2901.21 of the Revised Code.

If a person has received a previous warning under this section or has been found in violation of this section, he shall receive no warning under this division concerning subsequent noncompliance with this section and is subject to strict criminal liability, as provided in division (B) of section 2901.21 of the Revised Code. No action may be maintained against a retail seller for a violation of this section unless:

(1) He fails to comply with a warning issued under division (D) of this section; or

(2) He had actual knowledge or should have had knowledge that the product offered for sale did not comply with this section.

Section 1329.30 | Labeling of binding twine.
 

No dealer, manufacturing corporation, company, or agent, shall sell or offer for sale a ball or parcel of binding twine, commonly employed in binding grain, unless there is attached thereto a tab or label describing the kind of material of which such twine is composed and the weight of such ball or parcel.

Section 1329.31 | Prisoner-made goods to be branded, labeled, or marked.
 

Goods, wares, and merchandise made by prisoners in a correctional institution in this or any other state and imported, brought, or introduced into this state shall be branded, labeled, or marked as provided in section 1329.32 of the Revised Code before being exposed for sale.

Section 1329.32 | Requirements for brand, label or mark.
 

(A) The brand, label, or mark required by section 1329.31 of the Revised Code for goods, wares, and merchandise made outside the state of Ohio shall contain at the head or top of the brand, label, or mark "prison made" followed by the year and name of the correctional institution in which it was made, in plain English lettering of the style known as greater primer Roman capitals.

(B) The brand, label, or mark required by section 1329.31 of the Revised Code for goods, wares, and merchandise made within the department of rehabilitation and correction in the training program of the Ohio penal industries for the employment of prisoners shall state "OPI correctional industries."

(C) The brand or mark required by this section shall be placed upon the product if possible or, if branding or marking is impossible, a label shall be placed upon the product. A label shall be placed upon each box or crate in which the goods, wares, and merchandise are packed.

Section 1329.33 | Prohibited acts.
 

No person dealing in goods, wares, and merchandise made by prisoners in a correctional institution shall knowingly have them in possession for the purpose of sale or offer them for sale without the brand, label, or mark required by section 1329.31 of the Revised Code or remove, conceal, or deface the brand, mark, or label.

Section 1329.41 | Filing trade names, marks and devices definitions.
 

As used in sections 1329.41 to 1329.53, inclusive, of the Revised Code:

(A) "Name, mark, or device" means any word, name, symbol, picture, design or device, or any combination thereof, produced upon, and used by a person to indicate ownership of articles and supplies referred to herein.

(B) "Person" means any individual, firm, partnership, corporation, association or union of workingmen or other organization.

(C) "Produced upon" means branded, stamped, stenciled, engraved, etched, blown, embossed, impressed, embroidered, sewn or otherwise permanently placed upon any articles or supplies referred to herein.

(D) "Articles or supplies" means any item which is designed and intended for re-use in the normal course of trade by the person filing hereunder and includes towels, coats, aprons, toilet devices and accessories therefor supplied for hire or compensation, and vessels, receptacles and utensils used as packages or containers in the sale and distribution of any natural or processed product, compound, mixture, or substance, or any combination thereof, and parts and accessories for such vessels, receptacles and utensils.

(E) For purposes of sections 1329.41 to 1329.53, inclusive, of the Revised Code, a name, mark or device is "used in this state" when it is produced upon the articles or supplies and they are placed in the channels of trade.

Section 1329.42 | Verified statement may be filed in office of secretary of state - expiration, renewal of registration.
 

A person who uses in this state a name, mark, or device to indicate ownership of articles or supplies may file in the office of the secretary of state, on a form to be prescribed by the secretary of state, a verified statement setting forth, but not limited to, the following information:

(A) The name and business address of the person filing the statement; and, if a corporation, the state of incorporation;

(B) The nature of the business of the applicant;

(C) The type of articles or supplies in connection with which the name, mark, or device is used.

The statement shall include or be accompanied by a specimen evidencing actual use of the name, mark, or device, together with the filing fee specified in division (U)(1) of section 111.16 of the Revised Code. The registration of a name, mark, or device pursuant to this section is effective for a ten-year period beginning on the date of registration. If an application for renewal is filed within six months prior to the expiration of the ten-year period on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, the registration may be renewed at the end of each ten-year period for an additional ten-year period. The renewal fee specified in division (U)(2) of section 111.16 of the Revised Code shall accompany the application for renewal. The secretary of state shall notify a registrant within the six months next preceding the expiration of ten years from the date of registration of the necessity of renewal by ordinary or electronic mail to the last known physical or electronic mail address of the registrant.

Section 1329.421 | Filing change of address with secretary of state.
 

The registrant of a name, mark, or device used to indicate ownership shall record all changes of the registrant's business address by filing with the secretary of state a written statement, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, of the new address. The filing fee specified in division (U)(2) of section 111.16 of the Revised Code shall accompany the statement.

Section 1329.43 | Acceptance of document for filing - certified copy as evidence.
 

Upon compliance with the requirements of sections 1329.41 to 1329.53 of the Revised Code, the secretary of state shall accept a document for filing and make a copy of the document by microfilm or by any authorized photostatic or digitized process. Evidence of the filing shall be returned to the person filing the document.

A certified copy of any document filed under this section shall be admissible in evidence in any action or judicial proceedings in any court of this state as competent and sufficient proof of the filing pursuant to sections 1329.41 to 1329.53 of the Revised Code, and shall be prima facie evidence of the ownership by the person filing hereunder of all articles and supplies upon which such name, mark, or device is produced.

Section 1329.45 | Certificate of filing and benefits to be assignable.
 

The certificate of the filing of any name, mark, or device under sections 1329.41 to 1329.53 of the Revised Code and the benefits obtained under it shall be assignable with the sale of the articles or supplies on which the same are produced and used. Assignments shall be by instruments in writing duly executed and may be recorded upon the payment of the fee specified in division (U)(2) of section 111.16 of the Revised Code, payable to the secretary of state, who, after recording the assignment, upon request of the assignee, may issue in the assignee's name a new certificate. The instrument shall be on a form prescribed by the secretary of state.

Section 1329.46 | Record of names, marks or devices filed kept for public examination.
 

The secretary of state shall keep for public examination a record of all names, marks or devices filed under sections 1329.41 to 1329.53, inclusive, of the Revised Code.

Section 1329.47 | Cancellation of registration.
 

The secretary of state shall cancel from the register all of the following:

(A) Any registration concerning which the secretary of state receives a voluntary request in writing for the cancellation of the registration from the registrant or the assignee of record;

(B) Any registration granted under sections 1329.41 to 1329.45 of the Revised Code, not renewed in accordance with the provisions of those sections.

(C) Any registration that the secretary of state finds was granted improperly;

(D) Any registration ordered canceled by a court of competent jurisdiction on any ground.

Section 1329.48 | Requiring, taking, paying or accepting of deposit not deemed a sale.
 

The requiring, taking, paying or accepting of any deposit for any purpose upon any articles or supplies shall not be deemed to constitute a sale of such property, either optional or otherwise, for purposes of sections 1329.41 to 1329.53, inclusive, of the Revised Code.

Section 1329.49 | Filling or re-filling of receptacle - removal of identity.
 

No person shall use, give, buy, take, destroy, sell or otherwise dispose of, or traffic in, articles or supplies, fill or re-fill any vessel, receptacle or utensil upon which a name, mark, or device filed hereunder is produced, or refuse to return such articles or supplies on demand of the owner, or to deface, erase, obliterate, cover up or otherwise remove or conceal any such name, mark or device, unless consent of the owner is obtained or unless the articles or supplies shall have been purchased from the said owner.

Last updated February 15, 2022 at 2:05 PM

Section 1329.50 | Possession by junk or secondhand dealer as presumptive evidence of violation.
 

The possession by any junk dealer or dealer in second-hand articles or supplies, without the written consent of the person who filed hereunder or his assignee, of any articles or supplies upon which a name, mark or device has been produced shall be presumptive evidence of a violation of sections 1329.41 to 1329.53, inclusive, of the Revised Code.

Section 1329.501 | Laundering articles labeled with trade name or mark of owner.
 

No person, other than the owner, shall launder, wash, clean, renovate, or cause to be laundered, washed, cleaned, or renovated, any towels, coats, aprons, toilet devices, or other supplies used for the purpose of cleanliness and sanitation, upon which a name, mark, or device filed under the provisions of sections 1329.41 to 1329.53, inclusive, of the Revised Code is produced, the possession of which, claimed by lease or rental from the owner thereof, except by the written consent of the owner thereof. Any person who finds or receives such property in the ordinary course of business and under circumstances which gives him knowledge and means of inquiring as to the true owner, or who appropriates such articles to his own use, or the use of another person, contrary to sections 1329.41 to 1329.53, inclusive, of the Revised Code, without having first made reasonable efforts to find the owner and restore the property to him, is presumed guilty of traffic in the same, contrary to such sections.

Section 1329.52 | Enforcement of rights and remedies under any other statute not affected.
 

Sections 1329.41 to 1329.53, inclusive, of the Revised Code, shall not be construed as preventing the enforcement of rights and remedies under any other statute concerning articles or supplies upon which a name, mark, or device indicating ownership thereof has been produced, whether or not such name, mark, or device has been filed under sections 1329.41 to 1329.53, inclusive, of the Revised Code.

Section 1329.53 | No pending suit, proceeding or appeal to abate or be affected.
 

No suit, proceeding or appeal pending on October 1, 1954 shall abate or be affected in any way by reason of the coming into effect of sections 1329.41 to 1329.53, inclusive, of the Revised Code.

Section 1329.54 | Registration of trademarks, service marks definitions.
 

As used in sections 1329.54 to 1329.67 of the Revised Code:

(A) "Trademark" means any word, name, symbol, device, or combination of any word, name, symbol, or device, that is adopted and used by a person to identify and distinguish the goods of that person, including a unique product, from the goods of other persons, and to indicate the source of the goods, even if that source is unknown.

(B) "Service mark" means any word, name, symbol, device, or combination of any word, name, symbol, or device, that is adopted and used by a person to identify and distinguish the services of that person, including a unique service, from the services of other persons and to indicate the source of the services, even if that source is unknown. "Service mark" includes titles, character names used by a person, and other distinctive features of radio or television programs even if a radio or television program or a title, character name, or other distinctive feature of a radio or television program advertises the goods of the sponsor of that radio or television program.

(C) "Mark" means any trademark or service mark that is entitled to registration under sections 1329.54 to 1329.67 of the Revised Code whether or not it is registered.

(D) "Person" means any individual, firm, partnership, limited liability partnership, limited liability company, corporation, association, union, or other organization that is capable of suing or being sued in a court of record in this state.

(E) "Applicant" means the person filing an application for registration of a mark under sections 1329.54 to 1329.67 of the Revised Code and the person's legal representatives, successors, or assigns.

(F) "Registrant" means the person to whom the registration of a mark is issued under sections 1329.54 to 1329.67 of the Revised Code and the person's legal representatives, successors, or assigns.

(G) "Use" means the bona fide use of a mark in the ordinary course of trade and not the making use of a mark merely to reserve a right in a mark.

(H) A trademark shall be considered "used" in this state when either of the following applies:

(1) The trademark is placed in any manner on goods or their containers, on displays associated with goods or their containers, or on the tags or labels affixed to goods or their containers, and the goods are sold or transported in commerce in this state.

(2) If the nature of goods makes the types of placement described in division (H)(1) of this section impracticable, the trademark is placed in any manner on documents associated with the goods or the sale of the goods, and the goods are sold or transported in commerce in this state.

(I) A service mark shall be considered "used" in this state when both of the following apply:

(1) The service mark is used to identify the services of one person and to distinguish them from the services of other persons.

(2) The services of that person are sold or otherwise rendered in this state.

(J) A mark shall be considered "abandoned" when either of the following occurs:

(1) Its use has been discontinued with the intent not to resume that use. An "intent not to resume that use" may be inferred from the circumstances, and nonuse of a mark for three consecutive years constitutes prima-facie evidence of that intent.

(2) Any course of conduct by the owner of the mark, including actions and omissions, causes the mark to lose its significance as a mark.

Section 1329.55 | Limitations on trademark or service mark registration.
 

A trademark or service mark by which the goods or services of any applicant for registration may be distinguished from the goods or services of other persons shall not be registered if it consists of or comprises one or more of the following:

(A) Immoral, deceptive, or scandalous matter;

(B) Matter that may disparage or falsely suggest a connection with living or dead persons, institutions, beliefs, or national symbols or bring them into contempt or disrepute;

(C) The flag, coat of arms, or other insignia of the United States, of any state or municipality, or of any foreign nation or any simulation of a flag, coat of arms, or other insignia of those natures;

(D) The name, signature, or portrait of any living individual, except with the individual's written consent;

(E)(1) Except as provided in divisions (E)(2) and (3) of this section, a mark to which any of the following applies:

(a) When used on or in connection with the goods or services of the applicant, the mark is merely descriptive or deceptively misdescriptive of those goods or services.

(b) When used on or in connection with the goods or services of the applicant, the mark is primarily geographically descriptive or deceptively misdescriptive of those goods or services.

(c) The mark is primarily merely a surname.

(2) Division (E) of this section does not prevent the registration of a mark used in this state by the applicant if that mark has become distinctive of the applicant's goods or services. The secretary of state 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 substantially exclusive and continuous use of the mark as a mark by the applicant in this state or elsewhere for the five years next preceding the date of the filing of the application for registration.

(3) Division (E)(1) of this section does not prevent the registration of a mark that, when used on or in connection with the goods or services of the applicant, is primarily geographically deceptively misdescriptive of the goods or services if the mark became distinctive of the applicant's goods or services in commerce prior to December 8, 1993, the date of enactment of the "North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act," 107 stat. 2057 (1993), 19 U.S.C. 3301 et seq.

(F) A trademark or service mark that so resembles a trademark or service mark registered in this state or a trademark, or service mark previously used in this state by another person and not abandoned by that person, as likely, when used on or in connection with the goods or services of the applicant, to cause confusion or mistake or to deceive;

(G)(1) Except as provided in division (G)(2) of this section, a trademark or service mark that so resembles a trademark or service mark registered in the United States patent and trademark office by another person and not abandoned by that person, or a trademark or service mark that is the subject of a pending intent to use application filed in the United States patent and trademark office by another person, as to be likely, when used on or in connection with the goods or services of the applicant, to cause confusion or mistake or to deceive.

(2) If the applicant proves that the applicant is the owner of a concurrent registration in the United States patent and trademark office of the applicant's trademark or service mark covering an area including this state, the applicant may register the applicant's trademark or service mark in accordance with sections 1329.54 to 1329.67 of the Revised Code.

Last updated February 15, 2022 at 12:58 PM

Section 1329.56 | Application for registration.
 

(A) Subject to the limitations set forth in sections 1329.54 to 1329.67 of the Revised Code, any person who adopts and uses a trademark or service mark in this state may file in the office of the secretary of state, on a form to be prescribed by the secretary of state, an application for registration of that trademark or service mark that sets forth, but is not limited to, the following information:

(1) The name and business address of the person applying for the registration; if the person is a corporation, the state of its incorporation; if the person is a partnership or limited liability partnership, the state in which the partnership is organized and the names of the general partners; and, if the person is a limited liability company, the state of its organization;

(2) The goods or services on or in connection with which the mark is used, the mode or manner in which the mark is used on or in connection with the goods or services, and the class in which the goods or services fall;

(3) The date when the mark was first used anywhere and the date when it was first used in this state by the applicant or the applicant's predecessor in interest;

(4) A statement that the applicant is the owner of the mark, that the mark is in use, and that, to the knowledge of the person verifying the application, no other person has the right to use the mark in the state either in the identical form of the mark, or in near resemblance to the mark, as to be likely, when used on or in connection with the goods or services of another person, to cause confusion or mistake or to deceive;

(5) A statement that, to the knowledge of the person verifying the application, no other person has a registration or a pending intent to use application of the same or a confusingly similar mark in the United States patent and trademark office for the same or similar goods or services or a statement that the applicant is the owner of a concurrent registration in the United States patent and trademark office of the applicant's mark covering an area including this state.

(B) The application shall be signed and verified by the applicant, by an authorized representative, or by an officer of the firm, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, general partnership, or limited partnership, corporation, union, association, or other organization that is the applicant.

(C) The application shall be accompanied by a specimen of the mark as actually used and shall contain a brief description of the mark as it appears on the specimen.

(D) The application shall be accompanied by the filing fee specified in division (U)(1) of section 111.16 of the Revised Code, payable to the secretary of state.

Section 1329.57 | Certificate of registration.
 

Upon compliance by the applicant with the requirements of sections 1329.54 to 1329.67 of the Revised Code, the secretary of state shall cause a certificate of registration to be issued and delivered to the applicant. The certificate of registration shall be issued under the signature and seal of the secretary of state, and it shall show the name and business address and, if a corporation, the state of incorporation, or, if a partnership or limited liability partnership, the state in which the partnership is organized and the names of the general partners, or, if a limited liability company, the state of organization, of the person claiming ownership of the trademark or service mark, the date claimed for the first use of the trademark or service mark anywhere, the date claimed for the first use of the trademark or service mark in this state, the class of goods or services and the description of the goods or services on or in connection with which the trademark or service mark is used, the registration date, and the term of the registration. One specimen or facsimile of the trademark or service mark supplied under section 1329.56 of the Revised Code shall be attached to and made a part of the certificate of registration.

Any certificate of registration issued by the secretary of state or a copy of the certificate duly certified by the secretary of state shall be admissible in evidence in any action or proceeding in any court of record in this state as competent and sufficient proof of the registration of the trademark or service mark.

Section 1329.58 | Term registration effective - renewal application.
 

Registration of a trademark or service mark under sections 1329.54 to 1329.67 of the Revised Code shall be effective for a term of ten years from the date of registration. Upon the filing of an application within six months prior to the expiration of that term on a form furnished by the secretary of state, the registrant may renew the registration at the end of each ten-year period for a similar term. The renewal fee specified in division (U)(2) of section 111.16 of the Revised Code, payable to the secretary of state, shall accompany the renewal application. The renewal application shall require the applicant to state that the mark still is in use in this state. The renewal application shall be accompanied by a specimen of the mark as actually used and shall contain a brief description of the mark as it appears on the specimen.

Section 1329.60 | Assignment of trademark or service mark and registration.
 

Any trademark or service mark and its registration shall be assignable with the good will of the business in which the trademark or service mark is used, or with that part of the good will of the business connected with the use of and symbolized by the trademark or service mark. Assignment shall be by instruments in writing duly executed and may be recorded with the secretary of state upon the payment of the fee specified in division (U)(2) of section 111.16 of the Revised Code, payable to the secretary of state, who, after recording the assignment, shall issue in the name of the assignee a new certificate for the remainder of the term of the registration or of the last renewal thereof. The instrument shall be on a form prescribed by the secretary of state. An assignment of any registration shall be void as against any subsequent purchaser for valuable consideration without notice unless it is recorded with the secretary of state within three months after the date thereof or prior to such subsequent purchase.

Section 1329.601 | Filing change of address with secretary of state.
 

The registrant of a trademark or service mark shall record all changes of the registrant's business address by filing a written statement, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, of the new address with the secretary of state. The filing fee specified in division (U)(2) of section 111.16 of the Revised Code shall accompany the statement.

Section 1329.61 | Public record of registrations and renewals.
 

The secretary of state shall keep for public examination a record of all trademarks and service marks registered or renewed under sections 1329.54 to 1329.67 of the Revised Code.

Section 1329.62 | Cancellation of registration.
 

The secretary of state shall cancel from the register the following types of registrations:

(A) Any registration the secretary of state receives a voluntary request in writing, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, for cancellation of the registration from the registrant or the assignee of record;

(B) Any registration that is granted under sections 1329.54 to 1329.67 of the Revised Code and that is not renewed in accordance with those sections;

(C) Any registration concerning which a court of competent jurisdiction finds either of the following applies:

(1) The registration was granted improperly.

(2) A trademark or service mark is or has become the generic name for the goods or services, or a portion of the goods or services, for which the mark is or has been registered.

(D) Any registration ordered canceled by a court of competent jurisdiction on any ground.

Section 1329.63 | Classification of goods or services.
 

The secretary of state shall establish for convenience of administration a classification of goods or services that is in conformity with the classification established by the commissioner of patents and trademarks under 15 U.S.C. 1112 but that does not limit or extend the applicant's or registrant's rights. A single application for registration of a trademark or service mark may include any or all goods and services comprised in a single class on or in connection with which the trademark or service mark is actually being used, but a single application shall not include goods or services that fall within different classes on or in connection with which the trademark or service mark is being used.

Section 1329.64 | Fraudulent filing or registration - damages.
 

Any person who shall for himself, or on behalf of any other person, procure the filing or registration of any trademark or service mark in the office of the secretary of state under sections 1329.54 to 1329.67 of the Revised Code, by knowingly making any false or fraudulent representation or declaration in writing, or by any other fraudulent means, shall be liable to pay all damages sustained in consequence of the filing or registration, to be recovered by or on behalf of the party injured thereby in any court of competent jurisdiction.

Section 1329.65 | Civil action for unauthorized use or reproduction.
 

Except as provided in section 1329.67 of the Revised Code, any person who:

(A) Uses, without the consent of the registrant, any reproduction, counterfeit, copy, or colorable imitation of a trademark or service mark registered under sections 1329.54 to 1329.67 of the Revised Code, in connection with the sale, offering for sale, or advertising of any goods or services on or in connection with which such use is likely to cause confusion or mistake or to deceive as to the source of origin of such goods or services;

(B) Reproduces, counterfeits, copies, or colorably imitates any such trademark or service mark and applies the reproduction, counterfeit, copy, or colorable imitation to labels, signs, prints, packages, wrappers, receptacles, or advertisements intended to be used upon or in conjunction with the sale or other distribution in this state of such goods or services; shall be liable to a civil action by the owner of such registered trademark or service mark for any or all of the remedies provided in section 1329.66 of the Revised Code, except under this division the registrant shall not be entitled to recover profits or damages unless the acts have been committed with knowledge that the trademark or service mark is intended to cause confusion or mistake or to deceive.

Section 1329.66 | Rights and remedies.
 

Any owner of a trademark or service mark registered under the sections 1329.54 to 1329.67 of the Revised Code, may proceed by suit to enjoin the manufacture, use, display, or sale of any counterfeits or imitations of the mark, and any court of competent jurisdiction may grant injunctions to restrain such manufacture, use, display, or sale as may be by the the court considered just and reasonable, and may require the defendants to pay to the owner all profits derived from and all damages suffered by reason of the wrongful manufacture, use, display, or sale; the court may also order that any such counterfeits or imitations in the possession or under the control of any defendant in such case, to be delivered to an officer of the court, or to the complainant, to be destroyed.

If the infringement complained of is contained in or is part of paid advertising in a newspaper, magazine, or other periodical, the remedies of the owner of the right infringed as against the publisher or distributor of such periodical shall be confined to an injunction against the presentation of such advertising matter in future issues. These limitations shall apply only to innocent infringers and injunctive relief shall not be available to the owner of the right infringed in respect of an issue of a periodical containing infringing matter when restraining the dissemination of such infringing matter in any particular issue of such periodical would delay the delivery of such issue after the regular time therefor, and the delay would be due to the method by which publication and distribution of such periodical is customarily conducted in accordance with sound business practice, and not to any method or device adopted for the evasion of this section or to prevent or delay the issuance of an injunction or restraining order with respect to such infringing matter.

The enumeration of any right or remedy herein shall not affect a registrant's right to prosecute under any appropriate penal law of this state.

Section 1329.67 | Rights at common law.
 

Sections 1329.54 to 1329.67 of the Revised Code do not adversely affect the rights or the enforcement of rights in trademarks or service marks acquired in good faith at common law prior to any of the following times:

(A) Prior to another person's registration in this state of a trademark or service mark, with the registrant having a subsequent first use date;

(B) Prior to another person's registration in the United States patent and trademark office of a trademark or service mark, with the other person having a subsequent first use date;

(C) Prior to another person's registration in the United States patent and trademark office of a trademark or service mark, with the other person having a subsequent priority date.

Section 1329.71 | Suit by financial institution to enjoin use of name or logo - remedies.
 

(A) As used in this section, "financial institution" means any bank, savings and loan association, savings bank, or credit union; any affiliate or subsidiary of a bank, savings and loan association, savings bank, or credit union; any registrant as defined in section 1321.51 of the Revised Code ; or any person registered as a mortgage lender under Chapter 1322. of the Revised Code.

(B) Any financial institution may proceed by suit to enjoin the use of the financial institution's name or logo in connection with the sale, offering for sale, distribution, or advertising of any product or service without the express written consent of the financial institution, if such use is misleading or deceptive as to the source of origin or sponsorship of, or the affiliation with, the product or service. Any court of competent jurisdiction may grant injunctions to restrain such use as the court considers just and reasonable and may require the defendants to pay to the financial institution all profits derived from and all damages suffered by reason of the wrongful use of the name or logo.

(C) Notwithstanding division (B) of this section, the only remedies that are available for the wrongful use of a financial institution's name or logo by a registrant or licensee under C hapter 1322. of the Revised Code are those set forth in section 1322.50 of the Revised Code or otherwise provided by statute or common law.

(D) The provisions of this section are not intended to be exclusive remedies and do not preclude the use of any other remedy provided by law.

Section 1329.99 | Penalty.
 

(A) Whoever violates section 1329.26 or 1329.27 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars.

(B) Whoever violates section 1329.29 of the Revised Code shall be fined not less than twenty-five nor more than five hundred dollars.

(C) Whoever violates section 1329.30 of the Revised Code shall be fined not less than one nor more than twenty-five dollars.

(D) Whoever violates section 1329.31, 1329.32, or 1329.33 of the Revised Code shall be fined not less than twenty-five nor more than fifty dollars for a first offense; for each subsequent offense such person shall be fined not less than fifty nor more than two hundred dollars.

(E) Whoever violates sections 1329.41 to 1329.53, inclusive, of the Revised Code, shall be fined not less than ten nor more than fifty dollars or imprisoned not less than ten days nor more than one month, or both, for a first offense; for each subsequent offense such person shall be fined not less than twenty nor more than one hundred dollars, or imprisoned not less than thirty days nor more than three months, or both.