Category: Common Trademark Questions
If you ask an attorney whether you need an attorney, what answer would you expect? The answer might surprise you. When applying for a federal trademark, you do not, repeat, do not need an attorney. The U.S. Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) is freely available to anyone. You can file your trademark application online at the United … [Read More]
Category: Trademark Watch
Embed from Getty ImagesKim Kardashian West, the socialite/model/business owner/reality TV star who is now worth an estimated $370M dollars, exploded into pop culture in 2007 and has dominated headlines ever since. Describing what she does can be difficult – from her Wikipedia page: Kimberly Noel Kardashian West Kardashian (born October 21, 1980) is an American … [Read More]
Category: Trademark Cases | Tag: apple
Beginning with the return of Steve Jobs in 1997, Apple began its comeback with the introduction of new products. Some of its most successful products have been in the “i” line, including the iMac, iPod, iPad, iPhone, and iTunes. When it introduced the Apple Watch, many consumers wondered why it was not named the iWatch … [Read More]
Category: Trademark News
Every year, the USPTO releases it’s Performance and Accountability Report (PAR), covering a wide range of various stats and statistics. We read the 2018 report (all 218 pages of it) and pulled out the stats we found interesting. Highlights In the last five years, trademark volume has increased 40%, while pendency (time waiting for a … [Read More]
Category: Trademark Watch
From their Wikipedia page: Google LLC is an American multinational technology company that specializes in Internet-related services and products. These include online advertising technologies, search, cloud computing, software, and hardware. Google was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were Ph.D. students at Stanford University, in California. Together, they own about … [Read More]
Category: Trademark Watch
From his Wikipedia page: Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is the 45th and current President of the United States, in office since January 20, 2017. Before entering politics, he was a businessman and television personality. Trump was born in the New York City borough of Queens. He earned an economics degree from the … [Read More]
Category: Common Trademark Questions
After a several weeks-long closure, the Amazon Brand Registry reopened in May 2017 with several changes. The Amazon Brand Registry offers protections to private sellers who have registered trademarks. It offers such protections as predictive automation upon Amazon’s receipt of your report about trademark infringers and gives you added control over the listing of products … [Read More]
Category: Trademark Watch
Taylor Swift exploded into national attention when her debut country music album reached the top 5 on the Billboard list in 2006. She has released six albums in total, beginning as country music before transitioning to a pop icon. Her albums are: Taylor Swift (2006) Fearless (2008) Speak Now (2010) Red (2012) 1989 (2014) Reputation … [Read More]
Category: Common Trademark Questions
One of the common questions I get from potential clients revolves around how to trademark a logo. When a small business is launching, taking the time to ensure your logo doesn’t infringe on someone else’s trademark is an important step. How important is it for a business owner to trademark their logo? Consider the case … [Read More]
Category: Common Trademark Questions
An Important Note As soon as you start using your mark in commerce, you establish what is known as “Common Law Trademark Rights.” This isn’t a guarantee that the mark will “belong” to you, as it’s still very possible someone else already registered the mark. You will also have a hard time attempting to take … [Read More]
Category: Trademark News
Over the last few months in China, more than 250 trademark applications have been submitted for various uses of “Ivanka”. These range from diet pills to underwear and sanitary products, as companies look to cash in on the popularity of the First Daughter. These companies range from alcohol retailers to supplement manufacturers to makers of feminine … [Read More]
Category: Trademark News
The legal team for President Trump has applied for trademark protection for the phrase that is set to be the 2020 reelection slogan. The phrase was first made public during an interview with The Washington Post. Halfway through his interview with The Washington Post, Trump shared a bit of news: He already has decided on his … [Read More]
Category: Trademark News
The L.A. Chargers are off to a bit of a tough start, with backlash from fans since the announcement of the move from San Diego, followed by ridicule of their new logo, and now a challenge to their trademark application from the L.A. Gear company. If you don’t remember L.A. Gear, they’re the sneaker company that … [Read More]
Category: Trademark Knowledge
Creating a unique name, logo or slogan for your product or service business comes with the responsibility to trademark the name, logo or slogan to ensure that another company or person does not use the idea for their own financial gain. The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) is tasked with hearing appeals of trademark … [Read More]
Category: Trademark Cases
Patent-related litigation made up more than half of all lawsuits filed in America last year, a forty percent increase from three years before. With so-called patent troll lawsuits on the rise in a big way, I thought it’d be a good time to highlight the interesting, funny, and little-known side of American patent, trademark, and … [Read More]