Trademarks in the News: Pride of Place

New York, new mark

New York City is rebranding itself. City lawyers have filed an application for trademark registration of the slogan The World's Second Home. If approved by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the city will have an exclusive right to use the mark on a list of some 200 products and services, ranging from postcards to baby bibs to walking sticks. It is perhaps not as catchy as "The Big Apple" nickname, which itself replaced "Fun City", and played an important role in the 1970s campaign to revive New York's tourist economy. But the city's administration is hoping that it will prove as popular as the I ? NY sign.

The new slogan is designed to reflect the city's cultural diversity and the multiplicity of its immigrant communities. It is already being actively used to promote New York's bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games, as in these words from the mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg: "In New York's public schools, immigrant students hail from 199 [..] nations! We are the world's second home, a five-borough Olympic village where all ethnic and racial groups excel."

Branding Bulgaria

A positive image campaign run by the Bulgarian Economy Ministry has resulted in agreement on a trademark for use on Bulgarian exports. Bulgarian companies voted for the country's sunny logo as the sign they would most like to use on their products for export. Companies, which choose to help promote Bulgaria through their goods, will receive instructions from the Ministry as to how to use the logo.

Vietnam Value Inside

Vietnam's Trade Ministry is also planning a new national trademark strategy as part of a program to build a national identity for Vietnamese products in domestic and overseas markets. The Ministry has been working to raise awareness among local businesses as to the value of strong trademarks. A recent survey conducted by the Ministry showed a basic lack of recognition of Vietnamese brands among foreign visitors and residents - including of big names in the domestic market, such as Thai Tuan textiles or Vinamilk. Indeed, until two years ago, only 1.6 percent of the trademarks registered in Vietnam were owned by Vietnamese companies. The Ministry is proposing incentives for businesses which use the Vietnam Value Inside label, including half-price advertising in domestic media...