A mark by which the goods or services of any applicant for registration may be distinguished from the goods or services of others shall not be registered if the mark meets any of the following criteria:
 1. Consists of or comprises immoral, deceptive, or scandalous matter.

Terms Used In Iowa Code 548.102

  • Abandoned: means the occurrence of any of the following in relation to a mark:
     a. See Iowa Code 548.101
  • Applicant: means a person filing an application for registration of a mark under this chapter, and the person's legal representative, successor, or assignee. See Iowa Code 548.101
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Mark: means a trademark or service mark, entitled to registration under this chapter, whether registered or not. See Iowa Code 548.101
  • Secretary: means the secretary of state or the designee of the secretary charged with the administration of this chapter. See Iowa Code 548.101
  • Signature: includes an electronic signature as defined in section 554D. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Trade name: means a name used by a person to identify a business or vocation of such person. See Iowa Code 548.101
  • United States: includes all the states. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Use: means the bona fide use of a mark in the ordinary course of trade, and not made merely to reserve a right in a mark. See Iowa Code 548.101
 2. Consists of or comprises matter which may disparage, bring into contempt or disrepute, or falsely suggest a connection with persons, living or dead, institutions, beliefs, or national symbols, or bring them into contempt, or disrepute.
 3. Consists of or comprises the flag, or coat of arms, or other insignia of the United States, or of any state or municipality, or of any foreign nation, or any simulation thereof.
 4. Consists of, or comprises the name, signature, or portrait identifying a particular living individual, except by the individual’s written consent.
 5. a. Consists of a mark which is one of the following:

 (1) When used on or in connection with the goods or services of the applicant, is merely descriptive or deceptively misdescriptive of the goods or services.
 (2) When used on or in connection with the goods or services of the applicant, is primarily geographically descriptive or geographically misdescriptive of the goods or services.
 (3) Is primarily merely a surname.
 b. This subsection 5 does not prevent the registration of a mark used by the applicant which has become distinctive of the applicant’s goods or services. The secretary may accept as evidence that the mark has become distinctive as used on or in connection with the applicant’s goods or services, proof of continuous use thereof as a mark by the applicant in this state for the five years before the date on which the claim for distinctiveness is made.
 6. Consists of or comprises a mark which so resembles a mark registered in this state or a mark or trade name previously used by another and not abandoned, so as to be likely, when used on or in connection with the goods or services of the applicant, to cause confusion or mistake, or to deceive.
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