A Critical Analysis of the Doctrine of Naked Licenses in Trademark Law

This Chapter summarizes my criticism of the requirement of trademark licensing with control that I have developed in the Article, The Sunset of Quality Control in Modern Trademark Licensing, 57 American University Law Review, 341 (2007). Traditionally, the validity of trademark licensing has been based on the requirement that trademark owners guarantee the quality of the products produced by licensees or the licensing agreements can be considered “naked.” Courts elaborated this doctrine prior to the enactment of the Lanham Act of 1946 and have continued to follow it after its implementation. Since its inception, however, this doctrine has proved flawed and courts have often applied it inconsistently