The Validity of Apple’s App Store Trademark: Was Apple’s Marketing Too Good?
When I think of the App Store I think of Apple. But that comes from my bias as an addicted iPhone user. If I never gave up my Blackberry, would I still equate the App Store with Apple? Maybe. But...
View ArticleTrademarks Trending in the Sporting World
During the last year, the sports world has experienced a recent uptick in high profile trademark news. Early in 2012, former New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin made headlines when he successfully...
View ArticleApple Trademarks Store Design
Apple has recently been awarded a trademark for its store’s distinctive layout and design. Microsoft trademarked its own retail store design back in 2011.
View ArticleYou Cannot Be Serious ®
(“You Cannot be Serious” is owned by tennis legend John McEnroe.) Early in the 4th quarter of that really important football game last Sunday, Colin Kaepernick scampered into the end zone to cut the...
View ArticleThe Mark of the Genius (Bar, and the Rest of the Apple Store)
Some of the most famous buildings outlining the landscapes of city skylines have been trademarked. The US Patent and Trademark Office has recognized trademarks in such landmarks as the Empire State...
View ArticleUSPTO Board to Determine Whether Washington Redskins Should Lose Trademark...
On March 7, 2013, the USPTO Trial and Appear Board conducted a hearing to consider whether the Redskins should lose trademark protection. At issue is Section 2(a) of the Trademark Act which prohibits...
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Tiffany & Co. Gifts a Lawsuit this Valentine’s Day
This past Valentine’s Day, the famous jewelry corporation, Tiffany & Co., filed a suit against discount warehouse Costco Wholesale alleging that Costco knowingly and intentionally sold counterfeit...
View ArticleiPad mini Trademark Denied (For Now)
Apple Inc. is one of the valuable brands on the planet. Ownership of powerful trademarks such as iPhone, iPad, Mac, and others has made Apple one of the premier intellectual property powerhouses in the...
View ArticleTimeline Trademark Tiff
Facebook Inc. is embroiled in a legal battle with Timelines Inc. over the trademark “Timeline.” Timelines claims that Facebook has infringed on its mark; a jury will decide on April 22.
View ArticleLegal Battles… in FarmVille?
Over the last several years, social network gaming has taken the digital world by storm. Hit games like FarmVille and Mafia Wars have entirely changed the landscape of the gaming industry, turning...
View Articlewill.i.am Brings the Action
A trademark showdown between hip hop giants Pharrell and will.i.am just got uglier. Earlier this year, will.I.am sent Pharrell a notice of opposition challenging his use of “I Am” in Pharrell’s latest...
View ArticlePatent Literally Pending: The Government Shutdown and Intellectual Property
As of 12:01 am ET, Tuesday, October 1, 2013 the federal government has shutdown for the first time since late 1995/early 1996. While the focus has been on more visible government functions that serve...
View ArticleThe Name Game: A Rock Band’s attempt to register the name “the Slants”...
The importance of a band’s name cannot be understated. Most often, it is the first thing music fans notice, even before the music itself. Have you ever just checked out a band’s music because you liked...
View ArticleXX Marks The Spot
Chances are, if you are reading this article on a computer or any other web-enabled device, then during the course of your life you have seen both an automobile and a television. If you have seen both...
View ArticleSoup Trademark War
On September 23, a small Vietnamese restaurant announced that it had received a legal letter telling it to change its name. The restaurant, Mo Pho, has been operating in South-east London for years....
View ArticlePinterest v. Pintrips
Pinterest filed suit against a personal travel planning startup, Pintrips. The social network accuses Pintrips of trademark infringement, false designation of origin, unfair competition and trademark...
View ArticleHow will China’s New Trademark Law Impact U.S. Brand Owners?
National People’s Congress of China has passed China’s first major reform of its Trademark Law in over a decade recently, which will be in effective on May 1st, 2014. This Trademark reform is good news...
View ArticleReporting from the AIPLA Conference in Washington D.C.
Recently one of our great 2l staffers, Sarah Haag, attended the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA). With almost 2,200 IP professionals in attendance and...
View ArticleOne too many rolling stones
The proverb “a rolling stone gathers no moss,” and more specifically the two words “rolling stone” have a remarkable intersection with the music industry. Unfortunately for Bruce Keisling and his...
View ArticleTo Kill a Trademark Suit
On Wednesday, the operators of a museum honoring To Kill a Mockingbird asked a judge from the District Court for the Southern District of Alabama to dismiss a trademark infringement claim filed by...
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