Is a Smart Oven Trademark War Brewing? Feb 25, 2013

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Three companies (at least) have been using variations of the term "Smart Oven" in the name of cooking appliances in different parts of the world in recent years. Conflict may be brewing, at least in the Australian market, where a year-old Electrolux trademark application could be challenged by Breville and Samsung.

Current.com.au writer Patrick Avenell inadvertently provided the impetus for the recent trademark applications from Breville and Samsung. Recent articles by Avenell describe how Samsung Australia filed for its trademark after learning, from Current.com.au, about the application pending for Electrolux. Breville, upon reading about Electrolux and Samsung, then filed its own application.

Appliancemagazine.com learned that Samsung filed for a substantially similar trademark in the United States at the same time. Samsung is apparently targeting Australia and the United States for the Smart Oven it launched this month in the UK.

But Breville has been selling its Smart Oven countertop appliance in both the United States and Australia for several years - and has a U.S, trademark already registered.

Is 2013, when the term "Smart" has become widespread and generically used in reference to new appliances, is it even worthy of a trademark? Apparently so, as there is yet another "Smart Oven" launching - this one from LG.

Read the in-depth report on the ApplianceMagazine.com web site:
Which Oven is the True (Trademarked) Smart Oven?

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