Trademark Disputes

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

In this article, we will discuss the trademark dispute between a collection of Greek fraternal organizations and Thomas Kenneth Abraham, a vendor of items bearing the logos of said organizations. The purpose of this case study is to demonstrate the importance of proactive and timely enforcement of trademark rights. In addition, the study will mention … Read more

In this article, we will discuss the trademark conflict between Research Group 3, an off-road motorcycle racing suspension company, and their shared trademark with Robert Griffin III, “RG3”. The purpose of this case study is to demonstrate how two seemingly conflicting trademarks can reach a coexistence agreement based on the distinct nature of their commercial … Read more

In this article, we will discuss ongoing litigation between the social media service, Pinterest, and a travel planning startup, Pintrips. The purpose of this case study is to demonstrate potential avenues for trademark infringement and what complaints the infringed party can bring against violators. Furthermore, the study will demonstrate the need for a trademark search … Read more

Every year companies across the country enter costly legal battles over trademark disputes. The following post highlights four of the biggest trademark disputes in recent history. Motorola v. Xoom Corp Motorola, now a subsidiary of Google, is a smartphone and tablet manufacturer. The products all run on Google’s Android operating system, and have slowly become … Read more

A boy, a dog, and a nickname: that’s how the trademark dispute between Duke University and the estate of iconic actor John Wayne began. When Marion Morrison was a child in the early 1900s, his family owned an 80-pound Airedale Terrier named Big Duke. Young Marion disliked his own given name but reveled in the nickname … Read more

On the face of it, the rules behind the use and protection of a trademark are obvious. Once a trademark is registered, other companies are prevented from using it as part of their branding, corporate, or marketing strategies. But it doesn’t always work out that way. The truth is that trademark laws can be complicated. … Read more

A sports team effectively cannot function without trademark rights to its name. Without a federal trademark registration, teams would find it much more difficult to fight infringement cases, particularly from imported goods. The result could be reduced revenue from branded merchandise. This is why the case of the Washington Redskins trademark is so compelling. Owner … Read more