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Famous expired trademarks from the 1960s and 1970s
The Graveyard of Fame: 40 Iconic Trademarks from the 1960s and 1970s That Time Forgot
The 1960s and 1970s were powerhouses of brand creation. From revolutionary toys and household products to iconic foods and automobiles, these decades gave birth to trademarks that defined generations. Yet for every brand that survived into the 21st century, dozens more have expired, been abandoned, or simply disappeared from store shelves.
What happens to a trademark when the company behind it goes bust, stops using the name, or becomes so popular it turns into a generic word? The trademark dies. It moves to the USPTO's vast graveyard of "dead" marks—cancelled, expired, or abandoned registrations that once represented thriving businesses and beloved products.
This article is a trip down memory lane and a case study in trademark mortality. Below are approximately 40 famous trademarks from the 1960s and 1970s that have expired or been lost, each with a story of what went wrong.
About This List: What "Expired" Really Means
A "dead" trademark at the USPTO is an inactive application or registration that no longer has any federal registration rights. This can happen for several reasons: the owner failed to renew the registration, the mark became generic through widespread public use, the application was abandoned mid-process, or the owner simply stopped using the mark in commerce.
Importantly, a dead federal registration does not always mean the name is free to use. Common law trademark rights may still exist if the brand continues to be used in commerce somewhere, even without a federal registration. The marks listed below are those where both the registration and the commercial use have largely ceased.
These 40 trademarks are organized by category—Genericide and Legal Losses, Discontinued But Unforgettable, Automobiles, Fashion and Beauty, and Technology and Media. Each entry includes the decade the brand was prominent, its original owner, its fate, and when the trademark was lost (where available).
Part I: Genericide and Legal Losses
Genericide is the ultimate irony of business success: a trademark becomes so famous that it becomes the generic name for the product itself. Once a court rules a mark has become generic, anyone can use it—the original owner loses all exclusive rights.
Part II: Discontinued But Unforgettable
These products once dominated supermarket shelves and living rooms, then vanished after their trademarks were abandoned or allowed to expire. Their registrations are now dead, but their memory lives on.
Part III: Automobiles
The 1960s and 1970s were a golden age of automotive branding—and a graveyard of nameplates that couldn't survive oil crises, changing tastes, and corporate consolidation.
| # | Trademark | Decade Popular | Original Owner | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | Simca | 1935–1970s | Chrysler France (formerly Simca) | Vanished; Chrysler took over in 1958, renamed to Chrysler France in 1970, and the Simca trademark disappeared after Peugeot acquired the company in 1978 |
| 33 | AMC Gremlin | 1970s | American Motors Corporation | Abandoned; AMC collapsed and the trademark died with the company |
| 34 | AMC Pacer | 1970s | American Motors Corporation | Abandoned; same fate as all AMC trademarks |
| 35 | DeLorean | 1970s (briefly) | DeLorean Motor Company | Abandoned; the trademark expired after the company's spectacular bankruptcy, though later revived for the car itself |
| 36 | Oldsmobile | 1900s–2000s | General Motors | Abandoned; GM phased out the brand and the trademark registration eventually lapsed |
| 37 | Studebaker Avanti | 1960s | Studebaker Corporation | Abandoned; the trademark died after Studebaker closed its South Bend plant in 1963; later revived by other owners but the original registration is long dead |
Part IV: Fashion and Beauty
Fashion trends from the late 1960s through the 1970s were bold, colorful, and often ephemeral. Many trademarked brand names died with the trends.
| # | Trademark | Decade Popular | Original Owner | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | Mego Superheroes | 1970s | Mego Corporation | Abandoned; Mego went bankrupt in 1983 and its trademark for the iconic posable dolls expired |
| 39 | Sea Monkeys | 1960s–1970s | Transcience Corporation | Abandoned; the original trademark registration expired though the brand has been revived in recent years under new ownership |
| 40 | Lite-Brite | 1960s–1970s | Hasbro (originally Kenner) | Original registration abandoned; revived but the classic 1960s registration is dead |
| 41 | Colorforms | 1960s–1970s | Colorforms Corporation | The iconic plastic sticker toy trademark was allowed to lapse by the end of the 20th century |
| 42 | Yardley of London | 1960s (peak) | Yardley | Trademark expired; the brand was bought and sold multiple times, with the original registrations abandoned |
Part V: Technology and Media
The technology that defined everyday life in the 1960s and 1970s has been largely rendered obsolete. With it went the trademarks that once dominated store shelves and living rooms.
💡 Lessons from the Trademark Graveyard
The 48 marks listed above died for different reasons, but the lessons are consistent:
1. Success Can Be Fatal
Genericide is the ultimate compliment—and the ultimate loss. Aspirin, Escalator, and Thermos all became so successful that they no longer belonged to their creators. Companies today fight genericide through advertising campaigns reminding consumers that "it's a brand, not a product."
2. Non-Use Is a Trademark Death Sentence
In the United States, you must continue using a trademark in commerce to maintain registration. A mark unused for three consecutive years is presumed abandoned. Ferrari lost the "Testarossa" mark in Germany for exactly this reason.
3. Bankruptcies Kill Trademarks
American Motors, Pan Am, and Studebaker all saw their trademarks die with their corporate parents. A trademark is an asset that must be actively maintained—once the company dissolves, the mark often goes with it.
4. Even the USPTO Graveyard Can't Guarantee a Free Name
A "dead" federal registration does not automatically mean a name is free to use. Common law rights may still exist, and some brands have been successfully revived years after their original registrations expired. Always conduct a comprehensive clearance search before adopting any trademark, even one that appears abandoned.
5. Trademark Maintenance Is Forever
U.S. trademark registrations require renewal filings between the fifth and sixth year, and again every ten years. Missing a single deadline can result in cancellation. Many marks on this list died not because their products failed, but because someone forgot to file the paperwork.
📋 Key Resources
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USPTO Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) — The free online database for searching pending, registered, and dead federal trademarks.
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USPTO Trademark Official Gazette — Published each Tuesday, it contains bibliographic information and a representative drawing for each mark published, along with a list of canceled and renewed registrations.
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Generic and Genericized Trademarks (Wikipedia) — A comprehensive list of marks that were originally legally protected trademarks but have been genericized and lost their legal status.
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Trademark Modernization Act of 2020 (TMA) — Created new procedures (expungement and reexamination) allowing any person to challenge registrations for marks that have never been used in U.S. commerce.
The trademarks listed in this article are understood to be expired, abandoned, or genericized based on publicly available USPTO records and documentation. The information provided is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Trademark clearance requires professional due diligence. If you are considering registering or using any trademark, consult a qualified trademark attorney.
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