(Podcast) The Briefing: Trademark Basics – Protecting Names, Logos, and Brands in Entertainment
The Briefing: Trademark Basics - Protecting Names, Logos, and Brands in Entertainment
Want to use a positioning cheat code? Try "early bird" thought leadership.
Daily Compliance News: July 29, 2025 the Is CEO Conduct Ever Personal Edition
PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Trending Now: An IP Podcast - Cease and Desist Letters: Protecting Your Intellectual Property the Right Way
PODCAST: PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Trending Now: An IP Podcast - Cease and Desist Letters: Protecting Your Intellectual Property the Right Way
You should be talking about philosophies—not just tactics—in your thought leadership
Mickey Mouse: un ratón con abogado
The Briefing: The Ninth Circuit Puts the Brakes on Eleanor’s Copyright Claim
(Podcast) The Briefing: Who Owns Jack Nicklaus? Lessons for The Creator Economy From a Brand Battle
The Briefing: Who Owns Jack Nicklaus? Lessons for The Creator Economy From a Brand Battle
(Podcast) The Briefing: Trademark Smoked: The Fall of General Cigar’s COHIBA Registration
The Briefing: Trademark Smoked: The Fall of General Cigar’s COHIBA Registration
(Podcast) The Briefing: When a TikTok Costs You $150,000 - Copyright Pitfalls in Influencer Marketing
The Briefing: When a TikTok Costs You $150,000 - Copyright Pitfalls in Influencer Marketing
(Podcast) The Briefing: Influencer Fail – ALO Yoga & Influencers Named in $150M Class Action Lawsuit for FTC Violations
The Briefing: Trademark Mayhem – Lady Gaga Gets Sued for Trademark Infringement
What Were the Cooler Wars? (Part 1) — No Infringement Intended Podcast
The Briefing: The Stanley Cup Clash - A Trademark Battle (Podcast)
The Briefing: The Stanley Cup Clash - A Trademark Battle
Does the sale of promotional clothing products turn a vodka and bourbon company into a fashion retailer? How much weight should be given to overlap in “channels of trade” when two companies sell certain products online but...more
In this episode of The Upper Brand, Richard Assmus, Kristine Young, and Christa Cole delve into key court cases that have shaped trademark law. They explore the intricacies of functional and generic trademarks, with insights...more
Many reality TV stars leverage their on-screen exposure to build brands of their own. While some focus on launching branded product lines (e.g. Kylie Cosmetics in beauty or Loverboy in alcoholic beverages), others, such as...more
Many industries rely on design patents to protect the look and feel of their products—especially when aesthetics drive customer interest, brand identity, or market differentiation. In Top Brand LLC v. Cozy Comfort Company...more
Registering and protecting a trademark involves more than just filing paperwork. Many businesses make costly errors that could lead to rejection, enforcement issues, or even the loss of rights. Here are some of the most...more
Registering a trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) provides significant legal benefits, including nationwide protection and the presumption of ownership. Federal registration is a smart investment for...more
The UK Supreme Court recently handed down judgement in the case of Iconix Luxembourg Holdings SARL v. Dream Pairs Europe Inc. The decision has provided important clarity on the question of whether post-sale confusion is...more
What’s in a name? For Philadelphians (and young men of a particular era) “Wing Bowl” conjures up zany images from the 1993-2018 annual early morning chicken wing eating competition including scantily clad women, radio...more
“I love reality TV!” Cue the eyerolls. For many, admitting to watching reality TV is often done begrudgingly or dismissed as a “guilty pleasure.” But why the stigma? Reality television has it all: drama, competition, social...more
The Australian Trade Marks Office has permitted the registration of the trade mark UBER TUTORS after finding that transport and delivery giant, Uber Technologies Inc (Uber Tech) failed to oppose the mark’s registration under...more
What happens when a business built on a celebrity’s name no longer controls the name itself? In this episode of The Briefing, attorneys Scott Hervey and Jessica Marlow break down the Nicklaus Companies v. GBI decision and...more
As noted in the linked article, many iconic brands, including Ford, Harley-Davidson, and JC Penney (yes, he was real), bear the surnames of their founders. These names often lend a sense of authenticity or legacy that...more
The European Union (EU) Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has refused to register Thom Browne’s position trademark consisting of four horizontal white stripes placed on the upper left sleeve of garments....more
After nearly 30 years of litigation, a federal court has canceled General Cigar’s U.S. trademarks for COHIBA cigars — all because of a little-known treaty and a Cuban brand once favored by Fidel Castro. What does this mean...more
Pop icon Lady Gaga is no stranger to making waves, but a new lawsuit initiated by California-based surfboard company Lost International (aka Lost Surfboards), shows that even superstars can find themselves navigating choppy...more
In the debut episode of The Upper Brand podcast, Mayer Brown attorneys Richard Assmus, Kristine Young, and Christa Cole delve into the evolving world of non-traditional trademarks—covering everything from colors and scents to...more
Trademark registrations are a great tool for business owners to protect their brand identity. Unlike some other forms of intellectual property protection, trademarks can last forever provided that they are actively used and...more
Lady Gaga’s “Mayhem” tour has sparked legal trouble. In this episode of The Briefing, Scott Hervey and James Kachmar analyze a trademark infringement lawsuit filed by surf brand, Lost International, which claims Gaga’s use of...more
Ford is seeking to stop an aftermarket restoration company from the alleged unauthorized use of the Bronco trademark and trade dress in connection with the rebuild of modern Ford Broncos. The case raises questions of whether...more
On March 21, 2025, I participated in a spirited panel at the annual IP symposium hosted by the Penn Intellectual Property Group (PIPG) at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. Titled “How Far Should Trademark...more
Everybody knows that trade marks are necessary to protect a brand’s logo and name, and a lot of people know that registered designs are a powerful tool in stopping counterfeit goods, but did you know these rights can also be...more
The battle over beauty “dupes” just got more interesting. In a major win for e.l.f. Cosmetics, a California federal judge ruled that its Lash ’N Roll mascara doesn’t infringe the trademarks and trade dress of Benefit...more
The United Kingdom Supreme Court’s decision in SkyKick v Sky highlights a critical trademark risk: Registering a brand for an overly broad range of products and services without an intent to use it across all categories can...more