Q&A: Store designs and more may be registered as trademarks
Crowe attorney Margaret Millikin discusses Apple's recent
registration of its store design as a trademark. By Paula Burkes
Published: February 14, 2013  Q&A with Margaret Millikin  Apple
seeks to protect property with trademark of store design  Q: Why
did Apple register its store design as a trademark?  A: Apple
understands intellectual property (IP) is a valuable asset and
acts strategically to protect the IP that it owns or controls.
Trademarks, as an asset class of IP, identify one's goods and
services and distinguish them from the goods and services of
others. Almost anything can serve as a trademark, even smells,
sounds and colors. The color red is registered for Christian
Louboutin shoe soles. The Pillsbury doughboy giggle is a
federally registered trademark. Even the scent of plumeria
blossoms for embroidery thread has been registered as a
trademark.  The design of a building can serve as a distinctive
trademark or “trade dress.” This is noth