Trademark Disputes

Federal Judge Louis L. Stanton delivered a swift blow to rapper T.I.’s latest film project on July 9, 2025, barring him from using the title “Situationships” for his upcoming comedy. The preliminary injunction came just months after T.I. and his wife Tameka “Tiny” Harris celebrated a $71 million victory in their own intellectual property lawsuit … Read more

When Keystone Alternatives chose “goPSUrv.com” as their domain name, they thought they’d found the perfect way to target Penn State football fans looking for RV rentals. Six years later, they’re handing over that domain to the university, destroying all their marketing materials, and admitting to willful trademark infringement. Here’s how a seemingly clever business decision … Read more

In April 2025, a trademark dispute erupted that perfectly illustrates the David vs. Goliath battles small businesses face in protecting their brand identity. Nestlé, the world’s largest food and beverage company, filed a petition asking the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to cancel the trademark registration of Seattle Strong, a cold brew company that started … Read more

Even a $6.5 billion deal between tech giants can be brought to a halt by a trademark dispute. OpenAI and legendary (former) Apple designer Jony Ive just learned this lesson the hard way when a federal judge ordered them to stop marketing their new AI hardware venture due to trademark infringement claims from a competing … Read more

The entertainment industry was recently shaken by a high-profile trademark infringement lawsuit that demonstrates how even established creators can find themselves in costly legal disputes when proper trademark protections aren’t secured. Tyler Perry, along with Netflix and actress Terri J. Vaughn, faces a federal lawsuit over the title and content of their 2025 comedy series … Read more

What started as a clever pun for an Ohio food truck has become a federal trademark battlefield that every business owner should understand. On June 3, 2025, Kellogg North America Co. LLC filed a comprehensive trademark lawsuit against a small hibachi operation called “L’eggo My Eggroll,” transforming what might have seemed like harmless wordplay into … Read more

For any business owner, the potential costs associated with a trademark dispute battle can be extremely high. For some startups, the idea of entering into a legal fight over the right to use a mark is simply out of the question due to limited resources. There’s a new trend on the rise that is changing … Read more

Justice is blind, at least theoretically. Frequently we see big-guy versus little-guy cases end overwhelmingly in favor of the big-guy due to sophisticated legal tactics utilized by teams of lawyers. In the face of such resources, it’s easy to understand why David toppling Goliath was the upset of the millennium. But even with such scenarios, … Read more

In this article, we will discuss the trademark conflict between Brewery Vivant, a micro-brewery and producer of “Farmhand” French farmhouse-style ale, and Tired Hands Brewing Company, maker of “Farmhands” Belgian saison style ale. The purpose of this case study is to demonstrate the importance of trademark in a crowded marketplace where strong brand and product … Read more

In the music industry, a name is a more than just a name. It’s a brand. As with any brand, owners will protect their rights at any cost. There’s a tacit significance in crafting a band name because it has the potential to be iconic, like the Ramones or the Beatles. People in bands spend … Read more

In this article, we will discuss the trademark conflict between Cadbury, international confectioners who sought to trademark their signature purple packaging, and Nestlé, who sought blockage of the registration. The purpose of this case study is to demonstrate the importance of clearly identifying and explicitly articulating a strong, durable trademark when seeking registration, in order … Read more

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has millions of active trademark registrations. In 2019 alone, they issued just over 201,000 trademarks in the United States. That’s an impressive number, given that each of these marks is unique. But the increased number of marks also creates a problem. With so many companies trying to … Read more