Legal Definitions - dilution doctrine

The dilution doctrine is a rule that protects a trademark from losing its strength or uniqueness. This can happen when someone tries to use the same trademark for a product or service that is unrelated to the original trademark.

For example, if a company has a trademark for a specific type of soda, another company cannot use that same trademark to sell a completely different product, like shoes. This would dilute the original trademark and make it less distinctive.

Another example is if a famous brand, like Nike, is used by a small, unknown company for their own products. This could cause confusion for consumers and weaken the Nike brand.

These examples illustrate how the dilution doctrine protects trademarks from losing their value and uniqueness. It ensures that consumers can easily identify and trust the products associated with a particular trademark.