Holland & Knight Defends State of Idaho's Trademark on Potatoes

WASHINGTON, D.C. – January 13, 2010 – Holland & Knight is pleased to announce that it has successfully defended its client, the Idaho Potato Commission, an agency of the State of Idaho, in a cancellation action brought by a potato packer and reseller who attempted to invalidate their IDAHO trademark in relation to potatoes.

Thomas Brooke, a partner in the firm's Washington, D.C., office and Special Deputy Attorney General to the State of Idaho, represented the Commission before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB).

The case began when a potato packer and reseller in New York filed a Petition to Cancel the Idaho Potato Commission's U.S. Certification Trademark Registration for the IDAHO mark in relation to potatoes. On January 13, the TTAB granted the firm's motion to dismiss and ultimately supported rules established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that protect the Idaho Potato Commission's right to certify potatoes as genuine IDAHO potatoes.