Delta Says It Doesn’t Infringe American’s ‘Flagship’ Trademarks

Delta Air Lines Inc. told a Texas federal court it doesn’t infringe American Airlines Inc.‘s “Flagship” trademarks because it only uses the word descriptively, and that the term isn’t eligible for trademark protection because it’s generic.

“Flagship” is widely used in the airline industry to describe “top-of-the-line” planes, services, and airport lounges, Delta said.

According to American’s December complaint, it has been using “Flagship,” “Flagship Lounge” and “Flagship Suite” to describe services for first-class and business-class passengers since the 1930s, and owns federal registrations for the marks. The complaint said Delta, despite being aware of these marks, started using ...