History
Trademark origins
The newly created automobile company, Mercedes-Benz also needed a new image symbolising its enterprise union. The iconic three-pointed star is pervasive and unmistakably recognised around the world. But its design has evolved in many ways since the two companies merged in 1926. One early logo was trademarked in the United States on Friday, 16 August 1929. An application was filed for Mercedes-Benz by Daimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft of Berlin, Germany with the USPTO. Their application was filed in the primary class of non-metallic building materials and provide a description that included, "automotive vehicles, as follows: passenger cars and freight trucks; parts of and accessories to said vehicles…"
The design of the Mercedes-Benz signature logo was described by the USPTO with three aspects, 1) Stars with three points (Celestial bodies, natural phenomena, Geographical maps — Stars, comets), 2) Garlands, wreaths, bands, borders or frames made of plants (Plants — Decorations made of plants), and 3) Circular or elliptical seals (Heraldry, flags, crowns, crosses, arrows, and symbols — Seals).
Daimler-Benz elaborates on their use of the new logo and its representations in their 1928 application. Based upon their description, it appears they combined design elements from each automobile company to create a new logo reflecting each company's legacy. They stated that the trademark was applied to goods in their business since October 1926 with the trademark, "having been used in the business of the applicant's predecessors and in the business of applicant, continuously since the following dates. The word Mercedes since December 1900; the word Benz since July 1896; the representation of a three-pointed star since 27 June 1909, the representation of a wreath of laurel since September, 1909."[3] In their U.S. trademark application, Daimler-Benz stated that their trademark was registered in Germany on 28 August 1928 with an application date of 21 August 1926.
U.S. trademark registration was granted on 28 July 1931. Its current status is registered and renewed with the latest owner listed as Daimler AG of Stuttgart, Germany.[3] Mercedes-Benz is currently owned by Daimler AG in Germany.