Can an acronym be registered as a trademark or service mark if the underlying phrase could not be?
Any acronym may be registered as a mark if it is used to sell goods or services. The registrability of an acronym is not limited by the meanings of the words that it abbreviates. Thus, an acronym for a phrase that is descriptive or that is a merely trade name can be registered as a mark when the acronym itself is a proper trademark even though the phrase itself would not be registrable. Sometimes, using an acronym is the only way to get a mark registered.
