Donna A. Tobin, Mondaq; US Trademark Office Approves Application To Register The Shape Of A Burger
"The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO")
recently approved registration of the irregular shape of a
hamburger patty as a trademark, meaning that the owner of the mark,
Bubba Foods LLC (Bubba's) had made a sufficient showing to the
USPTO that the below shape of its burger was not functional and
that the shape itself serves to identify Bubba Burgers as the
source of burgers so shaped.
Such marks, known as "product configuration marks" are
less common than more typical trademarks, such as names, slogans or
logos. However, while the process is not an easy one, such non-
traditional trademarks, which can also protect aspects of a product
such as smells, sounds and the appearance of a retail
establishment, can confer powerful rights on an owner."
Issues and developments related to IP, AI, and OM, examined in the IP and tech ethics graduate courses I teach at the University of Pittsburgh School of Computing and Information. My Bloomsbury book "Ethics, Information, and Technology", coming in Summer 2025, includes major chapters on IP, AI, OM, and other emerging technologies (IoT, drones, robots, autonomous vehicles, VR/AR). Kip Currier, PhD, JD
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