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foreign countries. Caisley rendered an opinion regarding DHLI’s
ownership of the DHL trademark in December 1990 when he was not
yet aware of the 1974 MOA and its amendments. The cost of these
trademark registrations was borne by DHLI. DHLI protected the
DHL trademark against infringement outside the United States.
Outside the United States, DHLI also took responsibility and bore
the cost of protecting the DHL trademark, including disputes with
terminated agents relating to trademark usage.
The DHL name had been protected under U.S. trademark law
since 1969 and the DHL logo since 1977. From 1978 until 1992,
DHL or its subsidiaries were the registered owners of the DHL
trademark in the United States, and they bore the costs of
obtaining those U.S. registrations. In July 1986, an employee in
the Argentina office asked a DHL employee for permission to alter
the design of the logo used in Argentina. An MRI employee was
asked to handle the matter, with the request that he direct each
country manager to place next to the DHL logo a registration
symbol showing that the logo was a registered trademark of DHL.
In August 1988, DHL learned that the registrations of the DHL
trademark outside the United States failed to reflect DHL’s
interest in the trademark and the agreement set forth in the 1974
MOA.
Margaret Phillips, an attorney in the Donnici law firm, and
Cruikshanks discussed a revised trademark license agreement
between DHL and DHLI setting forth DHL’s ownership of the DHL
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