Can you trademark (and refuse others) the right to use a mispelled word?

[burton1234]

I sell adirondack chairs. One of my keywords on my website, "adirondak" (without the c), was called into question. I received a cease and desist by someone who has trademarked "Adirondak" under USTPO serial number 77184809. Can they make me remove a mispelling on my page? Can they also make me remove links to the Adirondak Lodj? Or Adirondak Mortgage? Do they now own all rights to this mispelling? If so, can I trademark all other mispelled words?

 

[Michael Wechsler]

(1) Having a trademark on a word means that they own the rights for a type of usage in a "class" or group of classes. Just because you own a trademark for the word "blebby" for use in quality footwear doesn't mean that you also own it for the manufacture of automobiles - you wouldn't.

(2) Mispellings are covered within trademark and you cannot use a misspelling that would likely cause confusion in the minds of consumers with the mark holder. If you decided to use the word "bleby" for the manufacture of quality footwear, your usage would likely be confusing to the reasonable consumer, who would think that you are the people making "blebby shoes" - make sense?