News & Analysis as of

Intellectual Property Litigation Appeals Trademark Registration

Proskauer Rose LLP

Three Point Shot - June 2025

Proskauer Rose LLP on

Hubble-Bubble in the Chewing Gum Industry: Big League Chew and Licensee Stretch Arguments in Ongoing Trade Dress Suit - The business relationship between Big League Chew Properties LLC (“Big League Chew”), the owner of...more

Mayer Brown

Lost in Translation: The Doctrine of Foreign Equivalents in Trademark Law

Mayer Brown on

In this episode of The Upper Brand, Kristine Young and Rich Assmus discuss the recent Federal Circuit case regarding the doctrine of foreign equivalents in trademark law. They explore the concepts of descriptiveness and...more

Fish & Richardson

Federal Circuit Finds Beer Trademark Application Nothing but "Chicken Scratch"

Fish & Richardson on

In yet another recent example of the need for care in establishing a full record when appealing the denial of a trademark application, on April 14, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld the denial of...more

Knobbe Martens

Fireball Frenzy: When First Registering a Mark, Genericness of a Mark Is Determined at the Time of Registration

Knobbe Martens on

BULLSHINE DISTILLERY LLC v. SAZERAC BRANDS, LLC - Before Moore, Reyna and Taranto. Appeal from the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. In assessing genericness, the TTAB considers how the mark was understood at the time of...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

Opposers Beware: Your Own Mark May Not Be Protectable

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the Trademark Trial & Appeal Board’s dismissal of an opposition to the registration of the marks IVOTERS and IVOTERS.COM while also noting that the US Patent &...more

Knobbe Martens

Zoned Out: The Zone of Natural Expansion Doctrine Can Only Be Used Defensively

Knobbe Martens on

DOLLAR FINANCIAL GROUP, INC. v. BRITTEX FINANCIAL, INC. [OPINION] - Before Prost, Taranto, and Hughes.  Appeal from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. The zone of natural...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

No Bull: Historically Generic Term Can Become Non-Generic

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed Trademark Trial & Appeal Board rulings, finding that a previously generic term was not generic at the time registration was sought because at that time the mark, as...more

Snell & Wilmer

Fourth Circuit Holds Additional Evidence Needed to Determine Whether “MOKE” is Generic

Snell & Wilmer on

The Fourth Circuit recently vacated and remanded a finding that the term MOKE is generic for certain low-speed, open-air vehicles. This case originated in the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB”) where Moke America LLC...more

Smart & Biggar

Canadian trademark law 2024: a year in review

Smart & Biggar on

In this article, we review a number of notable Canadian trademark cases from 2024 and highlight key developments in Canadian trademarks practice. On February 5, 2025, join us for an insightful webinar as we deliver a roundup...more

Morrison & Foerster LLP

Thatchers v. Aldi: A Bitter Battle over Cider Branding

On 20 January 2025, the Court of Appeal handed down its judgment in the trade mark dispute between Thatchers Cider Company Limited (“Thatchers”), the largest family-run independent cider producer in the UK, and Aldi Stores...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

Lager Than Life: $56 Million Verdict in Beer Trademark Dispute Still on Tap

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld a $56 million trial verdict in a trademark dispute, finding that the evidence supported the jury’s conclusion that a beer company’s rebranding of one its beers infringed a...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

ITU Applicants Beware: Federal Courts Have Jurisdiction Over Pending Trademark Applications

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed in part a district court’s ruling in a trademark dispute, upholding its decision to invalidate trademark applications. The Ninth Circuit held that district courts have...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

All That Glitters: Use of Registered Mark To Describe Watch Color Was Fair Use

The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed a district court’s grant of summary judgement to a luxury-watchmaker defendant, holding that its use of a registered and incontestable trademarked term was fair use...more

Smart & Biggar

BYOOVIZ is confusing with BEOVU: Federal Court finds violation of Novartis’ trademark rights

Smart & Biggar on

In a decision dated January 24, 2024, Justice Pallotta allowed Novartis’ application, finding that Biogen and Samsung’s use of the trademark BYOOVIZ in association with an ophthalmologic drug violates Novartis’ rights in its...more

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.

Federal Circuit IP Appeals: Summaries of Key 2023 Decisions (8th Edition)

2023 saw a return to business as usual for the Federal Circuit. Oral arguments are once again in-person and open to the public, and the Court has resumed its former practice of holding occasional sittings outside of...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

Stay in the Know: Informational Message Is Not a Source Identifier

Addressing whether the mark EVERYBODY VS. RACISM was registrable, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the Trademark Trial & Appeal Board’s final refusal to register the mark because it failed to function...more

Ladas & Parry LLP

New York Court Sides with PepsiCo on Remand in Ongoing Rise Brewing Dispute

Ladas & Parry LLP on

In Riseandshine Corporation v PepsiCo Inc (SDNY-1-21-cv-06324), plaintiff Riseandshine Corporation, doing business as Rise Brewing, brought three federal and two state claims relating to trademark infringement and unfair...more

Ladas & Parry LLP

TTAB Confirms that Building Design Marks Lack of Distinctiveness

Ladas & Parry LLP on

In In re Palacio Del Rio Inc (Serial Nos 88412764 and 88437801), the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) has issued an opinion affirming the refusal of two building design mark applications by Palacio Del Rio Inc (PDR) –...more

Ladas & Parry LLP

Fourth Circuit Confirms That ‘Gruyere’ is Generic for Cheese

Ladas & Parry LLP on

The appellants, Interprofession du Gruyère and Syndicat Interprofessionnel du Gruyère, are two consortiums, Swiss and French, that regulate use of the term ‘gruyere’ to refer only to cheeses produced in the Gruyère district...more

Holland & Knight LLP

Food and Beverage Law Update: December 2018

Holland & Knight LLP on

Regulation - FDA-USDA Propose Joint Regulatory Framework for Cell-Grown Meat - On Nov. 16, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a joint statement...more

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

Distilling the Relatedness of Spirits, Wines and Beer – The Lack of a Bright-Line Rule - Food, Beverage & Hospitality Alert

The alcohol industry has seen a veritable explosion in trademark filings from craft and independent brewers, distillers and wineries. This upsurge means trademarks are coming into conflict more and more often in the...more

Fenwick & West LLP

Is ‘Zero’ Generic or Descriptive? Coca-Cola Loses Battle on Appeal to Federal Circuit

Fenwick & West LLP on

If you have ever had a Coke Zero, what do you understand ZERO to mean – “zero calories,” “zero sugar,” “zero carbohydrates” or some combination of each? If your friend who never had a Coke Zero asked you what the difference...more

Fenwick & West LLP

Intellectual Property Bulletin - Fall 2018

Fenwick & West LLP on

In This Issue - Gender Diversity in Patenting: Current Landscape and Recommendations - The gender gap in patenting is a current challenge that companies face. While this issue seems pervasive, companies and lawyers can...more

23 Results
 / 
View per page
Page: of 1

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"

Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra:
*By using the service, you signify your acceptance of JD Supra's Privacy Policy.
- hide
- hide