I’ve wondered who owns the name “The Twentieth Century Limited”
I do not believe it has an owner at the present time, the way Super Chief is still owned by BNSF. Nobody has stepped forward to protect ownership, and there were 20th Century bars and grilles, clothing stores, book stores, etc.
Amtrak has named trains willy-nilly, the Maple Leaf, the California Zephyr, Cardinal, Lake Shore Limited, etc., without worrying about who and what originated them. But it was specifically barred from the Super Chief.
Why doesn’t Amtrak name the Lake Shore the 20th Century Lmtd? Because it is now the 21st Century, and anyway Amtrak should and does shy away from a comparison.
A trademark search reveals 3 registrations of the name. All are now dead. So apparently no one has a current claim to it.
When Amtrak began operating most of the long distance passenger service, it had permission from the AT&SF to call the Chicago-Los Angeles train the Super Chief and to call the Chicago-Houston train the Texas Chief. However, when the service provided on the trains deteriorated, the AT&SF forbade the use of the word “Chief” in the name of any train operated by Amtrak. When, in the opinion of the ATSF, service on the Chicago-Los Angeles train improved permission was granted to use “Chief” in the name of that train.
It’s more than 80 years old, right? Wouldn’t that put it in the public domain?
Chief, yet not Super Chief
Not sure on trademarks and service marks, but I think they can be kept current - witness UP’s heritage units.
Patents expire.
You have to show a willingness to defend your trademark and use it. Once others begin using it and you fail to challange them, it becomes public property. Nearly all passenger train names fall into this latter catagory. The AT&SF-BNSF is an exception.
Remember that the AT&SF modified Super Chief and called their fastest freight Super-C.
That makes sense. Copyright is 80 years (because Disney defends The Mouse). Patents are 17 years. I always thought that was backwards.