ALL >> Legal >> View Article
Battle For The Roar-mgms Trademark Battle — Unimarks

Can a sound be used as a trademark?
Yes, it can. Trademark is something that gives you or your company a unique identity. And a sound can be registered as a trademark if it is unique and memorable, like the name or the logo of the brand. Many of those sounds will remind us of the product, that’s the power of the sound and so it is more important to safeguard it. This is exactly what MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) decided to do in the year 1992.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. is an American media company which produced and distributed many movies for nearly a century to date. It was started in the year 1924 and with it was the birth of the first-ever innovation of trademark, the LION’S ROAR.
Everyone would have heard it at the start of the ‘TOM AND JERRY’ TV show. Slats were the first lion MGM recorded for their logo with the roar. People loved the logo and automatically grew found over it. Since MGM where undoubtedly the strongest motion picture studio of the generation the face of the LION was their perfect logo for them and the roar gave more unique realism to the visual. So after many movies and ...
... decades, MGM decided to make it their trademark sound and applied for it at the Canadian intellectual property office (CIPO) on the year 1992.
But MGM’s application got rejected because the CIPO was really not taking the registration of sound seriously.
They rejected the majority of the sounds that came for trademark and MGM’s roar got rejected as well. CIPO gave MGM a hard time claiming that their sound illustration didn’t match. They also claimed that the lions used by MGM for the sound are different and that they could only register a specific roar and not the entire generic roar of a lion. In 2010, it refused MGM’s application on the basis that MGM had failed to provide drawings and accurate representations of trademarks as prescribed by the law. MGM appealed to the Federal Court and in March 2012 MGM got its ROAR registered as a Trademark. The Canadian Intellectual Property Office changed its longstanding position by issuing guidelines for applicants to follow when applying for sound trademarks.
1. A statement that the application is for the registration of a
sound mark,
2. A drawing that graphically represents the sound,
3. A description of the sound,
4. An electronic recording of the sound to be submitted in specific
formats
This development saw several other sound trademark applications in 2012 including the Intel Corporation sound and the Toys‘R’Us jingle. In India, there have been many companies trademarking sounds as well. Yahoo’s yodel registration in 2008, for instance, was the first sound trademark to be registered in India. So, if you have a distinctive sound that is popular, it’s time you considered a trademark registration.
Click to Register your Trademark
To know more: unimarkslegal.com
Add Comment
Legal Articles
1. Advocate For Nri In Chennai: Your Trusted Legal Partner Back HomeAuthor: Sonu
2. Family Law In Dubai For Expats: What You Need To Know Before Filing A Case
Author: Dr. Hassan Elhais
3. The Role Of A Divorce Lawyer In High-conflict Divorces
Author: Singapore Sole Parent
4. Copyright Law In India: Protecting Creativity In The Digital Age
Author: AMD LAW INDIA
5. How To Choose Between The Top Divorce Lawyers In Singapore
Author: Singapore Sole Parent
6. How To Apply For A Uk Sponsor Licence In 2025: Simple Steps For Employers
Author: The SmartMove2UK
7. Affordable Debt Relief In Houston Tx: Bankruptcy Options For Every Budget
Author: RecoveryLawGroup
8. Why You Should Hire A Bankruptcy Attorney In Las Vegas
Author: RecoveryLawGroup
9. Understanding The Asci Code: The Self-regulation Framework For Advertising In India
Author: ASCI
10. Top Qualities To Look For In The Best Divorce Lawyer In Singapore
Author: Singapore Sole Parent
11. How A Divorce Lawyer Guides You Through The Divorce Process
Author: Singapore Sole Parent
12. How Can Lack Of Will Creation Affect Your Family’s Financial Future?
Author: Shailesh Gajjar
13. What Business Professionals Can (and Can't) Do On A Uk Visitor Visa In 2025
Author: The SmartMove2UK
14. Investment Law Firms In China: The Bottom Line
Author: Shanghai Ganus Law Firm
15. Navigating Bankruptcy In Riverside: Your Guide To Legal Relief
Author: RecoveryLawGroup