A trade mark’s ability to symbolize brands is arguably their most important function, as it is the distinction between objects, and the signification of a particular brand that provide trade marks with their economic value. Trademark law looks to protect customers from perplexity or trickery by averting other entities from using the same or a puzzling similar feature/name/words on their products, meanwhile giving rights …show more content…
PepsiCo argued that they added the word Pepsi Co to the Carolina bottle and logo marks hence creating a combination sign, which they used in the ‘course of trade’. It was left for the court to consider whether the shape alone or its combination with sign had infringed the Coca-Cola’s legal registered trademarks. However Coca-Cola had not registered the silhouette of its contour bottle, it was held that a little bit less subtle than the legally registered shape trademarks, consequently failing to depict, e.g. the vertical …show more content…
Essentially, similarity was to be determined from an angle of the consumer of the products in question and involved the application of the test that was imperfectly recollected. The court ruled out possibility of material similarity between Coca-Cola’s three registered trademarks and the Pepsi Company’s Carolina bottle and their combination sign which clearly distinguished the Pepsi Company’s offering in the market, it followed that no issuance of confusion or deception would come up whatsoever[9]. Moreover, PepsiCo’s argument that the use of other elements inherent in their sign, along with the ‘Carolina bottle’ distinguishes their distinctive marks entirely . It was found by the fullcourt, that the alleged marks are not capable of so nearly resembling the other trade mark and poses no real or tangible danger of deception or confusion