Prof. William McGeveran Quoted by Minnesota Lawyer on Possible 'Taco Tuesday' Trademark Termination

Professor William McGeveran was quoted by the Minnesota Laywer on a new petition from fast food titan, Taco Bell, to end the trademark on 'Taco Tuesday'. The trademark is currently held by the food chain Taco John's, but the widespread popularity of the phrase begs the questions of whether the chain has maintained a strong enough association with their trademark to keep it. Professor McGeveran explained, “A trademark is supposed to receive legal protection only if consumers continue to associate it with a particular source of goods and services. When a term becomes generic or merely descriptive, it no longer does that. Many former trademarks have lost protection because they became generic terms — famous examples include aspirin, thermos, and escalator.”