Ghost marks are trademarks which closely simulate ordinary words or phrases used in the course of trade, and which are not intended to be used as genuine trade marks.
[1] This is not to be confused with the usage of "ghost brand" to refer to the revival of an abandoned trademark by a new company.
[2] In the case of Imperial Group v. Philip Morris 1982 FSR 72, the plaintiff endeavored to register the trade mark "MERIT" for cigarette products, but was unable to do so on the grounds that the trade mark was too descriptive.
The intention was the obtain a de facto monopoly over the unregisterable mark "MERIT".
The court struck down the registration for "NERIT" on the basis that the plaintiff had no genuine intention to use the mark (despite some "trivial and insubstantial" efforts at launching a NERIT-branded product).