Will White Club Heads Still Be Around in 5 Years?
Interesting question. In the past I have touched on the trademark wrangling of Cobra and Taylor Made in their quest to own white. The Cobra trademark application has since matured to registration on the Supplemental Register, see the registration here, while the Taylor Made trademark application remains pending. You can refresh your memory by reading the prior post here.
Interestingly, just one week before Cobra filed their trademark application they filed a design patent application that happened to issue today as USPN D652464. While the Cobra trademark application seemed to be directed to “the color white as applied to the entirety of a golf club excepting the collar and face of the golf club head,” i.e. including the sole, their design patent is geared toward only a relatively generic pear shaped head along with the color of the crown in combination with the color of the shaft and the grip (white or black). White crown, white shaft, white grip = Cobra design patent, but also black crown, black shaft, black grip = Cobra design patent! Say it ain’t so…
The design patent explains:
So, I wonder how many custom club makers are potentially infringing the design patent by assembling a club with a white grip, a custom white shaft, and a R11 head? Even further, ever seen a golf club with a black crown, black shaft, and black grip?
David Dawsey – A Golf IP Protection Attorney
Interestingly, just one week before Cobra filed their trademark application they filed a design patent application that happened to issue today as USPN D652464. While the Cobra trademark application seemed to be directed to “the color white as applied to the entirety of a golf club excepting the collar and face of the golf club head,” i.e. including the sole, their design patent is geared toward only a relatively generic pear shaped head along with the color of the crown in combination with the color of the shaft and the grip (white or black). White crown, white shaft, white grip = Cobra design patent, but also black crown, black shaft, black grip = Cobra design patent! Say it ain’t so…
The design patent explains:
So, I wonder how many custom club makers are potentially infringing the design patent by assembling a club with a white grip, a custom white shaft, and a R11 head? Even further, ever seen a golf club with a black crown, black shaft, and black grip?
David Dawsey – A Golf IP Protection Attorney
Posted by David Dawsey PE Esq at 1/17/2012 12:00 AM 
Categories: Woods, Trademarks, Golf Design Patents
Categories: Woods, Trademarks, Golf Design Patents
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