The Dunkin’ Donuts “Best Coffee in America” claim has been rejected by the US Patent office, according to The Telegraph .
Although the company had attempted to register the slogan as its official trademark, the US Patent and Trademark Office recently rejected the claim.
“It is well established that a mark that consists of the generic name of a food that is the specialty of the house or a principal attraction of the restaurant has been held merely descriptive of restaurant services,” the office explained.
The rejection was also based on the fact that the slogan was “nothing more than a claim of superiority.” I’m sure Dunkin’ Donuts will say that was kind of the point.
According to the Boston Globe , the company’s inability to secure the trademarked slogan shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone in the business of selling food.
“Anyone at all can claim that their coffee is the ‘Best Coffee in America.’ No one takes such a claim literally, and no one company can monopolize the phrase,” explained trademark attorney, Zick Rubin.
Dunkin’ Donuts, which claims to sell 1.5 billion cups of coffee on a global scale every year, is obviously disappointed by the news. It’s currently unknown if the company will appeal the ruling by the US Patent and Trademark Office.
“We are reviewing the filing and cannot speculate on future plans at this time,” explained company spokesperson Jessica Gioglio.
The Huffington Post reports that Samuel Adams had similar trouble trademarking the slogan “The Best Beer in America.” The claim was rejected for similar reasons.
Earlier this year, Dunkin’ Donuts’ “Bagel Bunchkin’ trademark was also rejected the the US Patent Office. Officials stated the proposed product’s name was simply too close to “The Bagel Bunch” moniker used by a supermarket chain.
Do you agree that the Dunkin’ Donuts coffee claim should have been rejected by the US Patent Office? Do you think the company provides the “Best Coffee in America?”
