While General Motor's mark is known throughout the world, their mark is within a different classification. Automobiles and television are two completely different industries, thus two completely different classes altogether. As long as a mark falls within a different class and has not been created to imitate or dilute any existing marks than in most cases the same name can be used within several different classifications. Unless, of coarse the mark happens to be of a completely original behemoth of a company such as eBay, where the trademarked term has not been used in commerce previously. eBay itself is a completely original term and known by millions throughout the world. Therefore, while eBay is an online auction, you still wouldn't be able to use the mark to sell bread or anything else for that matter. On another note GM is a rather vague term altogether. If another company tried to use the mark, General Motors, than it would be a completely different story altogether.
mrtrent said:
Perhaps the legal eagles can explain this for me. I was looking for a car to buy and entered gm.tv into my browser thinking autos galore would pop up. But to the contrary. It was a British television show. So here's the question:
How is it that GM allows a British television show to use their trademark?
