Vetements’ Trademark Rejection Signals Tougher Rules for Foreign Brand Names

is generic or merely descriptive for clothing. April 21, 2023 TTAB Affirmation The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) upheld the refusal, ruling that “Vetements” is the generic French word for “clothing.” May 21, 2025 Federal Circuit Ruling The U.S.

Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the TTAB decision in In re Vetements Group AG, 137 F.4th 1317. August 19, 2025 Petition for Certiorari Vetements filed a petition (Docket No. 25 215) asking the Supreme Court to review the “doctrine of foreign equivalents.” November 21, 2025 U.S.

Gov Opposition The Solicitor General filed a brief in opposition, arguing that the mark would create a monopoly on a common term. January 12, 2026 SCOTUS Rejection The Supreme Court denied the petition for certiorari, finalizing the denial of federal trademark registration. Analysis of Outcomes at Each Stage 1.

The USPTO and TTAB: The Doctrine of Foreign Equivalents The initial denial was rooted in the Doctrine of Foreign Equivalents, which requires the USPTO to translate foreign words into English to determine if they are generic or descriptive. Since “Vetements” translates directly to “clothing,” the USPTO argued that granting the…