Last month Clorox introduced a line of natural cleaning products sold under the Green Works brand name. The Green Works cleaners are made from coconuts and lemon oil, are biodegradable and are packaged in recyclable bottles. The products’ green trademark protection comes from multiple angles, including both ordinary trademarks and certification marks (see my previous posts on this subject).
First, Clorox has applied for federal trademark registrations for both the word mark GREEN WORKS and the design mark (shown above) in multiple classes of goods ranging from soap, toothpaste and deodorant to dishwasher and laundry detergents to plastic wrap, storage containers and kitty litter. Most of the applications were filed with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office last year and are still pending, although one application for the word mark in connection with all purpose cleaners was filed in late 2006 and has been allowed.
The products also were certified by the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Design for the Environment (DfE) program and bear the DfE label. The DfE certification mark means the EPA has screened the product’s ingredients for potential health and environmental effects and concluded that they are low risk for the class of chemicals used in that product.
Finally, Clorox can impress green consumers with a Sierra Club endorsement of the Green Works product line.   The conservation group’s logo - also protected by a federal trademark registration – soon will appear on the products.
