Category: Trademark Cases
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]
Category: Infographics
We have one-time IBM patent lawyer Peter Detkin to thank for the phrase “patent troll.” In Detkin’s time, the phrase almost always referred to the practice of buying low-value patents for the purpose of threatening nuisance litigation. The easiest way to define the phrase for today’s world is to say that it refers to any … [Read More]
Category: Trademark Information
The trademark renewal process is fairly straightforward and relatively easy to navigate. Once you have conducted a trademark search and registered your trademark with the United States Patent & Trademark Office, you will be required to renew your trademark in order to maintain your federal trademark rights. Failure to renew your trademark will result in … [Read More]
Category: Trademark Information
With all the time and money that you’ve invested in establishing and registering your trademark, imagine how devastating it would be to have a competitor use your mark with the law’s blessing. If you fail to adequately police infringement, that is exactly what could happen. Registering your mark is a necessary (but not wholly sufficient) … [Read More]
Category: Trademark Information
Most people know how to play Angry Birds, the slingshot-themed video game by a Finnish company called Rovio. It isn’t so well-known, however, that Angry Birds has been the focus of some significant trademark disputes since its 2006 inception. Here are two of the most notable cases. Adams vs. Hartz Image via Flickr The person … [Read More]
Category: Trademark Information
If anyone can attest to the nightmare of waging a trademark battle against a corporate giant, it’s Amy Brooks, a Rochester-based entrepreneur. Ms. Brooks is the proprietor of Bubbles by Brooks, a distributor of therapeutic soaps for cancer patients. After surviving cancer treatment herself, Brooks began handcrafting skin care and soap products that minimize irritation … [Read More]
Category: Trademark Information
Recently, 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 litigation … [Read More]
Category: Trademark Information
Freelancers are rapidly taking over a major segment of the American economy. The idea of working in the office from 9 to 5 is giving way to flexible employment opportunities where individuals are free to shape their own schedules and pick their projects. The heady freedom isn’t exclusive to freelancers, though. Employers can now handpick writers, … [Read More]
Category: Trademark Information
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]
Category: Common Trademark Questions
Choosing a business name is one of the most important decisions that an entrepreneur can make. The name of a company forms the foundation that all other factors build upon. A weak name can set up an entire business for failure, regardless of its products or services. Avoid overused clichés and choose a name that … [Read More]
Category: Trademark 101
Establishing a trademark is important for any business, but the competition is particularly fierce in the tech industry. With competitors fighting over everyday words that have been in use for centuries, it’s no wonder tech start-ups are so eager to snag trademarks. If you’re just starting out, however, applying for trademark registration isn’t your first … [Read More]
Category: Trademark Information
Think of all you’ve invested in building your brand identity. You’ve carefully crafted a brand identity that appeals to customers and sets you apart from competitors. You have poured money and time into delivering superlative products or services that cement your reputation for quality. You have also probably thought long and hard about selecting the … [Read More]
Category: Common Trademark Questions
To date, the purchase of competitors’ trademarks as keywords that activate sponsored links has spurred more than 100 trademark infringement lawsuits in the U.S. and Europe. In all but a handful of those suits, courts have ruled in favor of the defendant, leaving plaintiff trademark owners largely without recourse. However, for many business owners, the … [Read More]
Category: Trademark Disputes
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]
Category: Trademark Information
Opening a new restaurant can be akin to descending into madness. On your restaurant launch list, there’s probably a million things to do, and registering a trademark for your business might not be at the top. After all, there are many other things to worry about, and chief among them will be working to get everything running … [Read More]