G. & C. Merriam Co. v. Syndicate Pub. Co., 237 U.S. 618 (1915), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held that, under the Trademark Act of 1881, after a copyrighted work expires, the word used to designate that work falls into the public domain and cannot be trademarked.^[1]

• Text of G. & C. Merriam Co. v. Syndicate Pub. Co., 237 U.S. 618 (1915) is available from: Cornell Findlaw Justia Library of Congress