Is TIFFANY about to become a generic term?

Tiffany Setting

I previously wrote an article for The Giggle Guide about trademarks becoming generic (http://thegiggleguide.com/business-sense/2011-09/learning-gerbers-onesie…). Thanks to a January 17 ruling by Judge Laura T. Swain of the Southern District of New York, TIFFANY, as it pertains to a ring setting, may soon be added to that list. Last year Tiffany sued Costco over Costco’s use of the TIFFANY name in describing a ring setting offered by the warehouse outlet for Valentine’s Day. In response to a pre-trial motion, Judge Swain wrote that a jury could reasonably find that the term is generic and the trademark invalid. Stay tuned.