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Trademarks as a System of Signs: A Semiotic Look at Trademark Law

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International Journal for the Semiotics of Law - Revue internationale de Sémiotique juridique Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This essay attempts to explore trademark law and the marks themselves from a semiotic viewpoint to provide a deeper understanding to (trademark) law as a system of signs. Although the language of trademark law may suggest slightly different meanings, for the purpose of this essay “trademark” will refer to an area of law (unless otherwise indicated) and “mark” will refer to the individual sign. The first part of this essay will provide a brief overview of semiotics. Second, it will outline a general look at trademark law as set forth in the Lanham Act. The third section is a semiotic approach to provide a deeper understanding of trademark law. Finally, the essay will analyze a seminal trademark case whilst using semiotics to address legal meaning within the case. Semiotics teaches that no absolute meaning can be found. This essay, then, attempts to secure at least one particular meaning of the Qualitex case and what it means in trademark law today.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Dickinson School of Law, Class of 2009, Penn State University, Carlisle, PA, USA

    Meghann L. Garrett

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  1. Meghann L. Garrett
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Correspondence to Meghann L. Garrett.

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Garrett, M.L. Trademarks as a System of Signs: A Semiotic Look at Trademark Law. Int J Semiot Law 23, 61–75 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11196-009-9131-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11196-009-9131-7

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