
When does a trademark expire?
The official trademark for the phrase “All Hail King George III” is expected to expire on Friday, but there’s one more hurdle to clear before it can be taken off the market.
A new ruling issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday says the trademark’s expiration date is November 20, 2021.
That would make it impossible for anyone to use the term “All Hails King George,” but a new version of the phrase is expected in the near future.
This marks the second time that the phrase has expired since the company’s original trademark was created in the 1980s.
The previous case, however, was decided by a federal court in the U and upheld by the Supreme Court.
That ruling ruled that the term should remain on the market, and the company was forced to sell the trademark to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.