OTHER NEWS - June 27, 1992

Court Upholds Visual Trademark: A business place with a distinctive appearance may be protected by federal trademark law even if the public doesn’t automatically identify the decor with any particular business or owner, the Supreme Court ruled. The court unanimously upheld a nearly $3-million award that Taco Cabana International, a chain of Mexican fast-food restaurants, won in Texas against a competitor, Two Pesos Inc. The justices said a federal jury could conclude that Two Pesos illegally copied the style and decor of Taco Cabana’s restaurants. Justice Byron R. White, writing for the court, said federal law is intended to protect a product’s or business’s distinctive appearance, referred to as “trade dress” in trademark parlance.