Humane Society Fails to Duck Counterclaims in Trademark Spat

The Humane Society must face a counterclaim that it doesn’t have a monopoly on the term “humane society” because it sued the American Humane Association for infringing its trademarks.

Humane World for Animals Inc., which owns “Humane Society” trademark registrations, sued the American Humane Association over an alleged rebrand to “American Humane Society” and “Global Humane Society” in the US District Court for the District of Columbia. The Humane Association’s answer argued that it has been known as “American Humane Society” for more than 100 years, and that the term “humane society” is generic for animal welfare groups.

The ruling ...