Trademark of the Week – JEEP
Jeep is an American brand in the sector of automobiles. Headquartered at Toledo, Ohio, United States, the company runs under the ownership of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The popular products of the company includes Sports utility vehicles and sports vehicles. Jeep has a worldwide operation including India.
The Jeep brand was launched by Willys Overland in the year 1943, just after World War II. The initiator of the brand held his ownership up to 1953 and sold the venture to Kaiser Jeep, who again sold the same in 1970 to American Motor Corporation. In the year 1987, the present owner FCA bought the brand along with all its assets and continuing.
“JEEP” the very name was used as a slang in the US Army for new vehicles and requites before 1940. This got an identical frame during World War II, as US army engaged a significant number of light military 4×4 vehicles called as JEEP thereafter.
Wills Overland filled the Original application for the registration of Jeep as a trademark for his automobile company in February 1943, which was objected by many including Bantam and Minneapolis-Moline.
The Federal Trade Corporation (FTP) also warned the company with a formal complaint. Willys, however, managed to launch its first Civilian Jeep (CJ) branded vehicle in 1945, and simply copyrighted the Jeep name in 1946.
Being the only company producing jeep continuously after World War II, the trademark “Jeep” was first used on 20th November 1940 and got a registration with a registration number 526175 under USPTO.
By Lex Protector ')}