1401.14(f)    Ivory, Bone, Whalebone, Horn, Tusks, or Other Items Prohibited under Federal Law

Use of a mark in commerce must be lawful use to be the basis for federal registration of the mark. Thus, the goods or services to which the mark is applied must comply with all applicable federal laws. TMEP §907. Identifications that include "ivory," "bone," "whalebone," "horn," or "tusks" may necessitate an inquiry regarding lawful use in commerce in connection with, for example, the Endangered Species Act (ESA), 16 U.S.C. §§1531-1544, the African Elephant Conservation Act, 16 U.S.C. §§ 4201-4246, and/or the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), 16 U.S.C. §§1361-1407. Accordingly, ID Manual entries related to "ivory," "bone," "whalebone," "horn," and "tusks" were deleted effective January 1, 2017. Additional entries, including "live coral," "ambergris," "whale oil and fat for food," and "live soft-shelled turtles," were subsequently deleted from the ID Manual because the identifications may necessitate an inquiry regarding lawful use in commerce. For additional information regarding lawful use in commerce, see TMEP §907. For information regarding effective date changes to the ID Manual, see TMEP §1401.10.