What Is Community Economic Development Today? Several Professionals Offer Perspective

NeighborWorks America, a community economic development (CED) non-profit, recently negotiated with the US Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) over the use of the term CED to describe the field of use for a trademark it sought to register. The non-profit was surprised to learn that the PTO has never recognized the term CED in connection with any registered marks. This will remain the case since the parties ultimately agreed upon alternative language. Many practitioners of CED would consider CED to be a fairly well-defined and understood term, and would not fully appreciate the basis for the PTO's resistance. However, an American Bar Association (ABA) panel in which lawyers recounted the novel and interesting ways in which each practiced CED lends some credence to the PTO's position. This article will expand on the foregoing and describe the activities of each of the organizations represented by the panelists.