The Sleep.com Trademark

Sleep.com is an online wellness resource and community that operates as an arm of Mattress Firm, a subsidiary of furniture giant Steinhoff international holdings, and a USA-based mattress chain store. Sleep.com Domain The domain sleep.com was registered in 1995 and will expire in 2032 unless renewed before then. The Sleep.com trademark was registered in 2020. … Read more

The Crucial Reason To File Trademarks Separately

Each trademark you file incurs a separate application fee. For example, if you wish to trademark your business name, your logo, and a product name, you will pay the application fee three times. Additionally, you might be subject to greater legal fees if you’ve chosen to work with an attorney on top of the filing fee with … Read more

Common Word Trademarks: Styrofoam

Styrofoam is a popular material that’s used for home insulation and craft supplies. Despite popular belief, however, it is not the material used to make disposable cups, coolers, packing peanuts and carry-out containers. Styrofoam is a registered trademark for a particular type of closed-cell, extruded polystyrene foam. Those other products may look like Styrofoam, but … Read more

Common Word Trademarks: Band-Aid

Are you stuck on Band-Aid brand? The catchy jingle was a TV and radio favorite for decades. Band-Aid may not be the top seller in the adhesive bandage market – private label brands have the top spot – but it is undoubtedly the most famous. Newlywed Invention How did Band-Aid get started? It began in … Read more

Common Word Trademarks: Ping-Pong

Table tennis has been around for a long time. British soldiers and aristocrats played it, and it is now an official game in the Olympics. If you call it Ping-Pong, however, you should know you’re using a registered trademark. First Came Tennis Before there was table tennis, there was court tennis. There’s evidence that people … Read more

Common Law Trademark Rights Explained

If you run a business but haven’t gotten around to filing a federal trademark application to protect your intellectual property, you may not have to worry about someone stealing your mark. Even if you never file that application, you may still have trademark rights. This is often referred to as having an unregistered mark. A … Read more

Trademarking a Band Name: 5 Things to Know

Music is art, but if you want to make money at it, you’ll need to view your musical career as a business, too. If you’re in a band, one of the most important things you can do for the group is trademark your name. Here are five things musicians need to know about the “art” … Read more

The History of the Ford Logo

The Ford Motor Cars logo is one of the most iconic corporate symbols in the world, right up there with the Coca-Cola logo and McDonald’s golden arches. What’s interesting is how long the simple, memorable design has lasted. The logo has remained virtually untouched for over a century. Henry Ford started Ford Motor Company in … Read more

Do I Need an Attorney?

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 States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) website. Everything you need is available for free, without the need for … Read more

Common Word Trademarks: Superhero

The idea of a superhero is longstanding in books, paintings, movies and, of course, comic books. When you think of a superhero, you might think of Captain Marvel, or you might think about someone who is unusually brave. If you’re going to write about a superhero, however, you will have to be sure you don’t … Read more

Common Word Trademarks: TASER

For better or worse, TASER is one of the most famous names in stun guns. Many people routinely use the terms “to taser” or “tasering” when talking about the use of nonlethal force by police officers. But it’s not a generic word. TASER is an acronym and a trademarked brand for a particular type of … Read more

Trademark Research To Conduct Before Filing Your Application

Would you submit a job application without first researching the company? In the same way, you shouldn’t file a trademark application without first researching the process. Understanding the steps involved will make the process much smoother, giving you an easier, and cheaper, path to a federally registered trademark. (Research is the first of the four … Read more

Our Guide to Trademark Renewals

In this article, we explain the process of renewing a trademark registered with the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO), which is essential to maintain federal trademark rights. It covers the two essential forms: Declaration of Use under Section 8 and Application for Renewal of Registration under Section 9, as well as the timelines … Read more

Common Issues in Trademark Law

The integrity of law relies on the continued resolution of new challenges, and the present landscape of trademark law offers plenty of that. As the legal facility changes, new channels of commerce and an increasingly global economy will continue to push its evolution and adaptation into fascinating new arenas. Here are ten hot topics keeping … Read more

Trademark Disputes: LucasFilm Versus Empire Strikes Bock Beer

In 2014, Disney-owned Lucasfilm filed an opposition trademark dispute against New York-based Empire Brewing Company for the company’s latest bottled brew, named “Strikes Bock.” Obviously, it’s not difficult to see where this is going. It’s “Empire Strikes Bock” beer, which is similar to George Lucas’ wildly popular 1980 film, “The Empire Strikes Back.” Now, Disney’s behemoth … Read more

The Trademark Symbols and What They Mean

You probably see the three major trademark symbols everywhere, but do you know what they mean? The ®, ™, and ℠ symbols might seem familiar, you likely seem them in superscript all the time. But the “TM symbol”, “SM symbol” and “R symbol” have different uses and afford different legal protections to intellectual property. You … Read more