Bendigo and Adelaide Bank has lost its appeal of a ruling that revoked its 22-year-old ‘community bank’ trade mark, with the Full Federal Court agreeing that the phrase has an ordinary signification and cannot be trade marked for the bank’s services.
Law firm Maurice Blackburn has successfully defended a consumer law and intellectual property lawsuit brought over its use of a replica of the famous Fearless Girl statue by US financial services giant State Street Global Advisors.
Arguing the court was wrong to rule that its trade mark was not inherently distinctive, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank is challenging a judgment that revoked its 20-year-old mark for ‘Community Bank’.
Maurice Blackburn disregarded emails by the artist behind the iconic Fearless Girl statue questioning whether she would be breaching her contract with US asset management firm State Street in selling the law firm a replica, a court has heard.
A judge has overturned a win for Bendigo and Adelaide Bank in a trade mark battle with NSW-based Community First Credit Union, finding the credit union had successfully argued to revoke the bank’s 20-year-old trade mark for ‘Community Bank’.
US investment manager State Street Global Advisors claims it lost out on royalties when Maurice Blackburn commissioned an allegedly infringing replica of its iconic Fearless Girl statue in New York City, a marketing phenomenon that has been estimated to be valued at up to $38.6 million.