Odol:The Introduction of a Watery Concept with Steeled Resilience

Odol:The Introduction of a Watery Concept with Steeled Resilience
Anselm Kamperman Sanders

ISBN 978-90-411-3343-4
Kluwer Law International BV, The Netherlands

The case of Odol,1 decided in 1924 by the Landgericht at Elberfeld in Germany, has had a profound impact on the development of trademark law. It was the first case to explore the protection of trademarks in a manner concerning more than the issue of confusion as to origin, which is the traditional rationale in such cases. It has done so by introducing the concept of unfair competition into trademark law, paving the way for the concept of trademark dilutions to become part of statutory trademark law.