Intellectual Property · Trademark Registration
The Trademark™
In 2024, we trademarked the phrase "Void Where Prohibited." This means the phrase now belongs to us. We note this not to alarm you, but because you should know.
What This Means
Any document that uses the phrase "Void Where Prohibited" without authorization from this organization is, technically, in violation of our trademark. We have not yet calculated how many such documents exist. Our preliminary estimate is that the number is large. Our current upper bound is "most of them."
The phrase has appeared on sweepstakes entries, rebate forms, warranty cards, insurance riders, promotional offers, contest rules, product labels, pharmaceutical advertisements, financial disclosures, software license agreements, and at least one wedding invitation since its earliest documented commercial use. Each of these documents is now in a complex relationship with our trademark that we have not yet fully mapped.
We have not yet decided whether to enforce. Enforcement would require identifying every sweepstakes, rebate, contest, and warranty card printed in the last 50 years. We are compiling a list. The list is not yet complete. The list may never be complete. The list is not void.
Current Enforcement Status
0
Cease & Desist Letters Sent
1
Letters Sent (Beverage Co.)
0
Responses Received
∞
Estimated Violations
The beverage company case is discussed in detail in our Jurisdictional Disputes archive.
Authorized Use
If you are currently using the phrase "Void Where Prohibited™" on your documents, you may continue to do so. We will note it. We note everything. The noting does not constitute authorization; it constitutes documentation. Authorization requires a separate process that we have not yet established.
If you would like to obtain formal authorization to use the phrase, please contact us. We will respond. We will not promise to respond quickly, because response time is one of the things we do not control well. We will promise to note your inquiry. Your inquiry will be logged. The log is comprehensive.
We would like to note that our own use of the phrase across this website is authorized, as we are the trademark holder. We have reviewed this position with our legal team. Our legal team is us. We found no conflict.
A Note on Irony
It has been suggested that trademarking the phrase "Void Where Prohibited" creates a situation in which the phrase is, itself, void where the trademark is not valid — which includes jurisdictions that do not recognize our trademark, jurisdictions where trademark law operates differently, and jurisdictions where the trademark is contested. This would mean the phrase is void in an unknown number of places for a new and entirely separate reason, distinct from the original voiding mechanism. We find this to be, at minimum, thematically consistent with our overall body of work.
TRADEMARK NOTICE
The phrase "Void Where Prohibited™" is a registered trademark of this organization. Unauthorized use may result in this organization noting it. We take noting seriously. We have been noting things for years. The notes exist.