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Do Corporations own certain monikers?

fybush said:
I see 4/1/74 as the date NBC's WRC-FM became WKYS, per the FCC history cards.
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Then I stand corrected. I could’ve sworn it was earlier than that, but they say the mind is the first thing to go!

Pretty sure that’s still before KIIS started using the “Kiss” moniker.
 
Kent said:
Pretty sure that’s still before KIIS started using the “Kiss” moniker.
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The question isn't who was first, but who REGISTERED it first. From what I can see, the first registration of Kiss FM was in 1996 by Clear Channel Communications. Actually the first registration was Citicasters, which was bought by Clear Channel.

Clear Channel also registered Planet Kiss 102.3, but that trademark is now listed as dead. That might relate to the iHeart station in Albany.

Heftel Corporation of Chicago registered Kiss Radio in 1988. But that's a separate trademark.

WKYS used the lips in their logo but NBC apparently never trademarked it.
 
TheBigA said:
The question isn't who was first, but who REGISTERED it first. From what I can see, the first registration of Kiss FM was in 1996 by Clear Channel Communications. Actually the first registration was Citicasters, which was bought by Clear Channel.

Clear Channel also registered Planet Kiss 102.3, but that trademark is now listed as dead. That might relate to the iHeart station in Albany.

Heftel Corporation of Chicago registered Kiss Radio in 1988. But that's a separate trademark.

WKYS used the lips in their logo but NBC apparently never trademarked it.
Click to expand...

WKSS Hartford was "Kiss" as a beautiful music station for years before flipping to CHR in 1984.
 
TheBigA said:
The question isn't who was first, but who REGISTERED it first. From what I can see, the first registration of Kiss FM was in 1996 by Clear Channel Communications. Actually the first registration was Citicasters, which was bought by Clear Channel.
Click to expand...

From what I've always understood, you have to have some evidence that you used it first in order to enforce the trademark nationwide. If someone else used it first, your registration doesn’t prevent people who used the name before you from using it. When I lived in Indiana a little over 20 years ago, you wouldn’t find “Waffle House” there because someone else was using the name. Until the original went out of business, it was called “Waffle & Steak.” You also won’t find Burger King in Mattoon, IL for the same reason.

Whatever the case iHeart and its predecessors have not gone after Cox or Urban One for using the “Kiss” moniker.
 
Kent said:
From what I've always understood, you have to have some evidence that you used it first in order to enforce the trademark nationwide. If someone else used it first, your registration doesn’t prevent people who used the name before you from using it.
Click to expand...

Which is why iHeart's Top 40 station in DC calls itself Hot, not Kiss. And WKYS still uses the lips they first used in the 70s.
 
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