LSaF

Question

Commercial

Maliwanag Coffee Roasters, Inc. (MCR) has been selling premium roasted coffee in the Philippines under the registered trademark "MASTER BLEND" since 2010. MCR's trademark has been registered with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) for use on coffee and coffee-related products. In 2023, Katibayan Foods Corporation (KFC) launched its own instant coffee line under the name "MASTER MIX," targeting budget-conscious consumers. MCR filed a complaint for trademark infringement before the IPO, arguing that "MASTER MIX" is confusingly similar to "MASTER BLEND" under the dominancy test. KFC countered that the two marks are distinct because "BLEND" and "MIX" have different sounds, and that the overall appearance, labels, and packaging of the products are entirely different — so the totality or holistic test shows no likelihood of confusion. Should the dominancy test or the holistic test govern the determination? Is there trademark infringement? (Bar 2026 Syllabus)

0/1500
7:00
Skip