Trademarks

Individuals and businesses across America are intensely interested in using brand names, slogans, and other trademarks incorporating the number "2000", the word "Millennium", and the terms "21st Century" and "Y2K". Thousands have filed applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office seeking registration of such marks.

Everything 2000 now includes an exhaustive list of trademarks containing the word "Millennium". This information was compiled by Dechert Price & Rhoads, the law firm whose well-known Annual Report on Trends in Brand Name Selection has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, National Public Radio, and newspapers across the country.

As early as 1990, far-sighted people were filing applications for millennium-celebration marks such as "countdown to 2000 millennium". Many others have filed for other celebration-related marks since then, with the complete list appearing on Everything 2000.

"Hundreds of companies have filed applications claiming to have the 'Official' product or service of the millennium" says Glenn Gundersen, a trademark law partner in Dechert's Philadelphia office and the author of the book Trademark Searching.

Mr. Gundersen observes that "millennium" has also become extremely popular as a brand name and company name, accounting for hundreds of marks which appear in Everything 2000's list.

"The word 'Millennium' has come from nowhere to become one of the most frequently sought trademarks," observes Mr. Gundersen. "While it may be possible for hundreds of companies to each claim trademark rights in variations on 'Millennium' or '2000' in their categories, it's a very crowded field. Naming a product or business 'Millennium' will not help you stand out from the crowd, and in many categories may simply be unavailable."

For more information about these trademarks, contact Glenn Gundersen of Dechert Price & Rhoads http://www.dechert.com

The following list is organized by category of active U.S. registrations and pending applications for trademarks that related to the new millennium as of March 1999.

Marketplace
Books
Collectibles
Celebration Supplies
General Merchandise
Travel Packages