Subway Seeks To Trademark 'Footlong'

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February 15, 2011

An Iowa-based store is fighting Subway's attempt to trademark the term "footlong." The Des Moines Register reports Casey's General Stores won't stop using the term. They say it's generic.

Copyright © 2011 National Public Radio®. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.

RENEE MONTAGNE, host:

Good morning. I'm Renee Montagne.

And this is how Subway promotes its 12-inch sandwiches.

(Soundbite of commercial)

Group: (Singing) Five, five dollar, five dollar footlong.

MONTAGNE: Now Subway has tried to trademark the term footlong, but an Iowa-based store is fighting back. The Des Moines Register reports that Casey's General Stores won't stop using footlong. They say it's generic. We don't know yet if mass transit systems will be suing Subway for its use of the term subway.

It's MORNING EDITION.

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