In 1967, the US Patent and Trademark Office ruled that "the term 'Montessori' has a generic and/or descriptive significance".[
In 1967, the US Patent and Trademark Office ruled that "the term 'Montessori' has a generic and/or descriptive significance".[52] According to many Montessori advocates, the lack of trademark protection has led to public misconceptions of the method due to some schools' using the term without adhering to Montessorian principles.[53]