Talking Rain Beverage Co., Inc. v. South Beach Beverage Company
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
349 F.3d 601 (2003)
Relevant factsFree
Talking Rain (plaintiff) registered its "Grip Bottle" design and sued SoBe (defendant) for using a similar-shaped bottle, but SoBe counterclaimed that Rain's grip-area design was functional (mirroring a bicycle bottle shape) and should have its registration cancelled; the district court granted SoBe's counterclaim.
IssueFree
Whether a functional mark can be registered for trademark protection.