Your brand name is your business identity – but what happens when that carefully chosen name becomes legally unprotectable? A recent decision from the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board demonstrates how a seemingly clever product name can become a business owner’s worst nightmare. In Shenzhen Tianjian Business Co. v. Shenzhen Ruiquansheng Technology Co., the USPTO’s trademark … Read more
Tesla’s ambitious plans for autonomous vehicle domination just hit an unexpected legal roadblock. In May 2025, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) rejected Tesla’s trademark application for “Robotaxi,” calling the term “merely descriptive” and too generic for trademark protection. This rejection serves as a perfect case study in what happens when even tech … Read more
In the high-stakes world of sports merchandising, brand identity carries tremendous value—and athletes are increasingly taking legal action to protect their commercial rights. The recent trademark dispute between Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. over the number 8 highlights the complex intersection of personal branding, trademark law, and commercial interests … Read more
Beginning with the return of Steve Jobs in 1997, Apple began its comeback with the introduction of new products. Some of its most successful Apple 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 called the … Read more
It might not be as recognizable as Coca-Cola’s cursive font, Nike’s swoosh, or McDonald’s golden arches, but it comes awfully close. Now in its 43rd year, the iconic I ❤ NY logo continues to stir emotions all over the globe. In both legal and illegal use, it has graced countless T-shirts, caps, key chains, tote … Read more
The sport industry is no stranger to trademark law. Successful athletes and universities have adopted strict policies in order to protect reasonable revenue streams from dilution or compromise. While the extent of registered marks between universities varies, Penn State rests among the more extensively defined of institutions with comparable licensing programs. In the process, the storied … Read more
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 copyright law. … Read more
A headline-making dispute between the Washington Redskins of the NFL and a group of Native Americans intensified last summer when an appeal board of the US Patent and Trademark Office ruled that the team should be stripped of its trademark protections. In a 2-1 decision, the board stripped the team of six federal trademarks related … Read more
Hardcore baseball fans were aghast last week when they learned that some of their favorite podcasts had been removed from iTunes, without notice. NBC Sports blogger Aaron Gleeman broke the news on Twitter, saying that “MLB requested several team-related podcasts be removed.” Why would Major League Baseball want to remove a source of free marketing? … Read more