Photo cutline: (from left) Jacques M. Dulin, Esq., Norma Marshall, owner of The 3 Crabs Restaurant, and Virginia P. Shögren, Esq. Attorneys Dulin and Shögren, both of Innovation Law Group Ltd. of Sequim, helped Marshall obtain trademark protection for her restaurant’s name and logo.

Since 1959, The 3 Crabs Restaurant has been serving seafood to diners in its waterfront location near Dungeness Spit. The 3 Crabs logo (three crabs with chef’s hats in a circle), a familiar sight to locals and tourists alike, has been in use since 1978.

In November, restaurant owner Norma Marshall successfully received federal trademark protection for both the restaurant name and logo. Trademark registration affords Marshall exclusive nationwide rights to the name and logo for at least a period of five years, with ongoing renewal options available.

Jacques M. Dulin and Virginia P. Shögren, intellectual property attorneys at Innovation Law Group Ltd. of Sequim successfully argued The 3 Crabs’ case before the Trademark Examiner, overcoming strong opposition by the US Trademark Office based on an intervening registration issued to a similarly named Vietnamese fish sauce.

The three crabs depicted on the logo represent the restaurant’s original owners - brothers Iris and Ernest Marshall and Martha Loffler. The restaurant has been in continuous operation for 45 years and since 1983 has been owned by Norma Marshall, who purchased the restaurant from the estate on her late husband Ernest.

Over the years, the landmark eatery has been written up in dozens of publications and awarded numerous honors, including the Gourmet Diners Club of America’s Silver Spoon Award in 1983, the “Best Restaurant in Western Washington” award in 1988, a first place in Western Washington in the Best of the Northwest awards from Pacific Northwest Magazine’s Reader’s Poll in 1989 and 1991. Most recently, in 2003, The 3 Crabs was listed by USA Today as one of the 10 great places to eat seafood by the seashore.