{"id":37980,"date":"2026-11-02T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T06:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kpw.law\/?p=37980"},"modified":"2026-10-31T17:08:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T15:08:18","slug":"hip-socket-loses-trademark-protection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kpw.law\/en\/hip-socket-loses-trademark-protection\/","title":{"rendered":"Hip Socket Loses Trademark Protection"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull v4-pattern-hero v4-pattern-hero--post is-style-background-blend is-style-arrow has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover alignfull is-light v4-pattern-hero__cover\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);min-height:75vh;aspect-ratio:unset;\"><img data-dominant-color=\"858739\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" sizes=\"auto, 100vw\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-37977 size-large not-transparent\" alt=\"Rosa Keramikkugel als Symbol f\u00fcr eine Marke nach Patentablauf, Markenrecht, Patentrecht, B\u00f6sgl\u00e4ubigkeit, Rechtsanwalt\" src=\"https:\/\/kpw.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/Hueftkugel-verliert-Markenschutz-1024x576.avif\" style=\"--dominant-color: #858739; object-position:52% 70%\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" data-object-position=\"52% 70%\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kpw.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/Hueftkugel-verliert-Markenschutz-1024x576.avif 1024w, https:\/\/kpw.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/Hueftkugel-verliert-Markenschutz-300x169.avif 300w, https:\/\/kpw.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/Hueftkugel-verliert-Markenschutz-768x432.avif 768w, https:\/\/kpw.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/Hueftkugel-verliert-Markenschutz-1536x864.avif 1536w, https:\/\/kpw.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/Hueftkugel-verliert-Markenschutz-2048x1152.avif 2048w\" \/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-base-background-color has-background-dim-0 has-background-dim\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div style=\"height:5em\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-content-justification-left is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-97ba1214 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-a6a2a725 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\r\n<h1 id=\"multirow-headline-block_becdf336a7fa887362d79b37dde8eda4\" class=\"wp-block-visual4-multirow-headline\">\r\n    <div class=\"wp-block-visual4-multirow-headline\">\n\n<p class=\"has-gigantic-font-size wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;margin-left:0%;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;font-style:normal;font-weight:1000;line-height:1;text-transform:uppercase\">trademark<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-huge-font-size wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-right:0;margin-bottom:0;margin-left:15%;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;font-style:normal;font-weight:1000;line-height:1;text-transform:uppercase\">lost for<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-contrast-color has-text-color has-link-color has-gigantic-font-size wp-elements-1 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;margin-left:0%;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;font-style:normal;font-weight:1000;line-height:1;text-transform:uppercase\"><span class=\"v4-marker-highlight-background\">hip socket<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n<\/div> \r\n<\/h1>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-small-font-size is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-878d3859 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);margin-bottom:0;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;font-style:italic;font-weight:300;text-transform:uppercase\"><div style=\"font-style:italic;font-weight:300;text-transform:uppercase\" class=\"wp-block-post-date has-small-font-size\"><time datetime=\"2026-11-02T08:30:00+02:00\">2. November 2026<\/time><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">by<\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"font-style:italic;font-weight:600\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\">Clemens Pfitzer<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-content-justification-left is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-3b99a472 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Can a company file a trademark application when its patent is about to expire? And is it sufficient as a defense to argue that the patented technology does not actually work? The Federal Patent Court partially canceled a trademark after the patent expired because it was convinced that the application was intended to extend the monopoly.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pink Ceramic in the Hip Joint<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">CeramTec manufactures ceramic components for artificial hip joints. Since 2003, the company has been marketing hip joint balls and inserts under the name BIOLOX delta. The products are pink because a small amount of chromium oxide is mixed into the ceramic\u2014according to the court\u2019s findings, approximately 0.32 to 0.34 percent by weight.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This exact material composition was the subject of a European patent. It claimed a ceramic with a chromium oxide content between 0.01 and 1.41 percent by weight and attributed a hardness-enhancing effect to the chromium oxide. Depending on the concentration, the material takes on a white, pale pink, or even ruby-red color. The patent expired on August 5, 2011.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On July 26, 2011\u2014that is, ten days earlier\u2014CeramTec filed an application for a three-dimensional trademark with the German Patent and Trademark Office. It depicts a pink hip joint ball from six different angles. During the same period, the company also filed applications for an abstract color trademark, a figurative trademark, and three EU trademarks. According to its own account, the company knew at that time that competitors were planning to introduce pink ceramic implants.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What the parties have asserted<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On January 31, 2014, a competitor filed a request to cancel the 3D trademark. He initially argued that the shape and color were dictated by technical necessity and did not indicate origin. Later, the allegation was added that the trademark had been filed in bad faith in order to continue to keep competitors out of the market after the patent expired.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">CeramTec countered that the color had never been patented. Chromium oxide acts solely as a colorant and has no effect on hardness. This had already been known prior to the filing of the application. The trademark was intended solely to protect a mark of origin that had been established over many years.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The German Patent and Trademark Office partially canceled the trademark in 2018 on the grounds of technical conditionality and lack of distinctiveness. At the time, the Office expressly ruled out bad faith in the application.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Federal Patent Court Partially Affirms Bad Faith<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bundespatentgericht.de\/SharedDocs\/Entscheidungen\/DE\/2026\/28052-18_09102026.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&amp;v=1\">decision dated October 9, 2026\u2014Case No. 28 W (pat) 52\/18<\/a>, the Federal Patent Court confirmed the cancellation of the patent for endoprostheses, anchors for endoprostheses, joint surface replacements, bone spacers, hip joint balls, and hip joint sockets. However, it now bases the revocation on the filing in bad faith.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, the trademark remains registered for implants used in osteosynthesis, orthoses, organ replacements, anchors for dental prostheses, and knee joint components.  <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does the ECJ have to do with this?<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The dispute between the same companies is also ongoing in France. There, the Paris Court of Appeal had already declared the parallel EU trademarks invalid on the grounds of bad faith. The French Court of Cassation referred the matter to the European Court of Justice.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ECJ ruled on this matter in <a href=\"https:\/\/infocuria.curia.europa.eu\/tabs\/document?source=document&amp;text=&amp;docid=301355&amp;pageIndex=0&amp;doclang=DE&amp;mode=req&amp;dir=&amp;occ=first&amp;part=1\">its judgment of June 19, 2025, in Case C-17\/24 (CeramTec)<\/a>. According to the judgment, bad faith may also be established on the grounds that the applicant considered the mark to be suitable for representing the patented technical solution in whole or in part. Whether the sign is in fact a technically necessary form is irrelevant in this regard. Factors to be taken into account include, among others, the nature of the trademark, the scope of the patent, the origin and prior use of the sign, the chronology of events, and the business rationale behind the application. According to the information in the decision, the Court of Cassation dismissed CeramTec\u2019s appeal on January 7, 2026.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Federal Patent Court is now incorporating these criteria into German <a href=\"https:\/\/kpw.law\/en\/fields-of-law\/trademark-law\/\">trademark law<\/a> and applying them to 3D trademarks.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why the Color Relates to the Patent<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The court acknowledges that the color pink was never patented as such. However, that is not the point. Anyone who follows the teachings of the patent and adds, for example, 0.3 percent by weight of chromium oxide will inevitably obtain exactly this shade. The color therefore constitutes part of the patented solution.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The court also rejected the argument that the patent related to cutting tools. It held that the material itself was protected, regardless of its intended use. Once the term of protection expires, it enters the public domain, even if the promised effect later proves to be false.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group v4-pattern-general-quote-box has-kpw-pink-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60)\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\" style=\"padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--70);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--70)\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the time the trademark was filed, the complainant knew that the 3D color design at issue embodied, at least in part, the technical solution protected by the expired patent, regardless of whether the technical solution works or not.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Not an Established Indication of Origin<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The court conducted a detailed examination of how the color was used prior to the application. CeramTec and its customers had, up to that point, presented the pink color as an indication of the material, not as a trademark. Product sheets and technical articles regularly explained the color as being due to chromium oxide, which increases hardness.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The color\u2019s recognition is therefore based on the patented material and not on any labeling. There is no question of an established indication of origin. The court felt supported by an internal document that had already been cited in the U.S. proceedings. This document lists the expiration dates of the patents and the risk of cheaper competing products right next to the goal of associating the color pink with the BIOLOX trademark.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does knowing that the trademark is ineffective help?<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The final step in the reasoning is particularly noteworthy. CeramTec had argued that it had known as early as 2011 that chromium oxide does not improve hardness. The court found this to be unsubstantiated. A statistically validated series of experiments was not completed until 2014; prior to that, there had been, at most, doubts.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, the court went further. Even if the company had been aware of this, the application would still have been made in bad faith. CeramTec did not inform customers and the public about the lack of efficacy until 2014. As recently as 2015, the company had described a hardness-enhancing effect to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and continued to pursue patent applications for chromium-containing ceramics. The court viewed this as a two-pronged strategy intended to keep competitors away from the material through trademark and patent law.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why not all products are affected<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bad faith applies only to the goods for which it is established. In the court\u2019s view, orthoses, knee joint components, or anchors for dental prostheses look completely different from a hip joint head and have nothing to do with hip surgery. Therefore, there is no evidence of an attempt to establish a monopoly over these goods. For these goods, the pink ball is a distinctive design that is independent of the specific product.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"h-fazit\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns v4-pattern-text-copy-half-col is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-f56f613f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A trademark after a patent has expired is not suspicious in and of itself. It becomes suspicious if the trademark depicts the technology that has become available and the circumstances suggest an extension of the monopoly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We view with skepticism the additional reasoning applied in the event that CeramTec was, in fact, aware of the ineffectiveness. Even if knowledge of the ineffectiveness does not exonerate the company, bad faith is effectively inferred from its subsequent communications. This conflicts with the principle that only the intent at the time of filing matters. It also remains unclear to what extent companies may still combine intellectual property rights. According to the case law of the Federal Court of Justice, such a combination is not in itself problematic, as the Federal Patent Court itself points out.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80)\">\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide v4-pattern-cta-box has-secondary-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0c8cea62 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:0;padding-right:0;padding-bottom:0\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide are-vertically-aligned-top v4-pattern-cta-box__columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-71c143ff wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\" style=\"padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top v4-pattern-cta-box__columns-column is-layout-flow wp-container-core-column-is-layout-fb77afb0 wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-bottom:0;flex-basis:60%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-content-justification-right is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-1931a79c wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\r\n<div id=\"multirow-headline-block_6137e853846ad37287483497a57c4df3\" class=\"wp-block-visual4-multirow-headline alignwide\">\r\n    <div class=\"wp-block-visual4-multirow-headline\">\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-huge-font-size wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;margin-left:0%;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;font-style:normal;font-weight:1000;line-height:1;text-transform:uppercase\">We\u2019d be happy to<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-x-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-right:0;margin-bottom:0;margin-left:8%;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;font-style:normal;font-weight:1000;line-height:0.9;text-transform:uppercase\">advise you on <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-huge-font-size wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-right:0;margin-bottom:0;margin-left:0%;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;font-style:normal;font-weight:1000;line-height:0.9;text-transform:uppercase\">trademark law!<\/p>\n\n<\/div> \r\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-9da75b5c wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\r\n\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-visual4-contact-modal__button\">\r\n            \r\n        <div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\r\n            \r\n\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-button v4-contact-modal-button is-style-fill\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:600\" data-form-id=\"8\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-contrast-color has-base-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\">Contact Form<\/a><\/div>\r\n\r\n        <\/div>\r\n        \r\n    <\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-style-mobile-only is-content-justification-left is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-a768b15a wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-arrow is-style-fill\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-base-background-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"tel:4971141019030\" style=\"padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);font-style:normal;font-weight:600\">Call now!<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top v4-pattern-cta-box__columns-column v4-pattern-cta-box__columns-column--image is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:40%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full v4-pattern-cta-box__columns-column__image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/kpw.law\/wp-content\/themes\/kpw-law\/assets\/samples\/person-cropped.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-23155\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pink Ceramic in the Hip Joint CeramTec manufactures ceramic components for artificial hip joints. Since 2003, the company has been marketing hip joint balls and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4904],"tags":[6496,6773,6774,6260,5794],"thema":[4895,4897],"rechtsgebiet":[4898],"produkt":[],"class_list":["post-37980","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","tag-bad-faith","tag-ceramtec","tag-patent-expiration","tag-three-dimensional-trademark","tag-trademark-application-in-bad-faith","thema-marke-en","thema-markenformen-en","rechtsgebiet-markenrecht-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.6 (Yoast SEO v28.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Trademark After Patent Expiration: Federal Patent Court Cancels the &quot;Pink Hip Ball&quot;<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Is a Trademark After a Patent Expires an Extension of a Monopoly? The Federal Patent Court (BPatG) has partially invalidated CeramTec\u2019s pink 3D trademark on the grounds of bad-faith filing.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/kpw.law\/en\/hip-socket-loses-trademark-protection\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hip Socket Loses Trademark Protection\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Is a Trademark After a Patent Expires an Extension of a Monopoly? The Federal Patent Court (BPatG) has partially invalidated CeramTec\u2019s pink 3D trademark on the grounds of bad-faith filing.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/kpw.law\/en\/hip-socket-loses-trademark-protection\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"KPW Rechtsanw\u00e4lte und Fachanw\u00e4lte\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-11-02T06:30:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/kpw.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/Branchen-scaled.avif\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1440\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Clemens Pfitzer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@clemenspfitzer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Clemens Pfitzer\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":[\"Article\",\"BlogPosting\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kpw.law\\\/en\\\/hip-socket-loses-trademark-protection\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kpw.law\\\/en\\\/hip-socket-loses-trademark-protection\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Clemens Pfitzer\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kpw.law\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/bb7a5be61de17c2c027e254e249214bd\"},\"headline\":\"Hip Socket Loses Trademark Protection\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-11-02T06:30:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kpw.law\\\/en\\\/hip-socket-loses-trademark-protection\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1323,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kpw.law\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kpw.law\\\/en\\\/hip-socket-loses-trademark-protection\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kpw.law\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/Hueftkugel-verliert-Markenschutz-1024x576.avif\",\"keywords\":[\"Bad faith\",\"CeramTec\",\"Patent Expiration\",\"three-dimensional trademark\",\"Trademark application in bad faith\"],\"articleSection\":[\"General\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kpw.law\\\/en\\\/hip-socket-loses-trademark-protection\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kpw.law\\\/en\\\/hip-socket-loses-trademark-protection\\\/\",\"name\":\"Trademark After Patent Expiration: Federal Patent Court Cancels the \\\"Pink Hip Ball\\\"\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kpw.law\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kpw.law\\\/en\\\/hip-socket-loses-trademark-protection\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kpw.law\\\/en\\\/hip-socket-loses-trademark-protection\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kpw.law\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/Hueftkugel-verliert-Markenschutz-1024x576.avif\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-11-02T06:30:00+00:00\",\"description\":\"Is a Trademark After a Patent Expires an Extension of a Monopoly? 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