Legal Definitions - vote dilution

Vote dilution is the act of reducing the strength or value of a group's vote. This can happen in different ways:

• In corporations, when the total number of outstanding shares is increased, the voting power of each share is reduced. This is called dilution.
• In constitutional law, the effectiveness of a particular group's vote can be limited by legislative reapportionment or political gerrymandering. This violates the Equal Protection Clause.
• In trademarks, the strength, effectiveness, or distinctiveness of a famous trademark can be impaired by using the mark on an unrelated product. This is called trademark dilution.

For example, if a company issues more shares of stock, the voting power of each share decreases. This means that each shareholder has less influence over the company's decisions. In constitutional law, if a particular group's vote is weakened by redrawing voting districts in a way that favors one political party, it can be considered vote dilution. In trademarks, if a famous brand like Coca-Cola is used on a product that has nothing to do with soda, like a car, it can weaken the distinctiveness of the brand and reduce its value.