Money-Saving Licensing Tips for Startups
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
A Counterintuitive Approach to Winning Without Litigation: One-on-One with Haley Morrison
SkadBytes Podcast | Tech’s Shifting Landscape: Five Trends Shaping the Conversation
Tips for Conducting a Trade Secret Assessment with Rob Jensen
Will I Get Sued if I Create Another Hospital Drama? — No Infringement Intended Podcast
Essential Steps to Sell Your Business
Mickey Mouse: un ratón con abogado
(Podcast) The Briefing: The Ninth Circuit Puts the Brakes on Eleanor’s Copyright Claim
The Briefing: The Ninth Circuit Puts the Brakes on Eleanor’s Copyright Claim
Unexpected Paths to IP Law with Dan Young and Colin White
Why Can't I Clean the Graffiti Off My Walls? — No Infringement Intended Podcast
(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: Williams Mullen's Trending Now: An IP Podcast - NCAA Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) Update – Effects of House Settlement
How IP Can Fuel Your Startup's Growth
Tariffs and Trade Series: What Senior Management Teams Need to Know
5 Key Takeaways | AI and Your Patent Management, Strategy & Portfolio
Two Key Considerations in NIL Deals
Last year, the case of BBK Tobacco & Foods LLP v. Central Agriculture Inc. made headlines in the trademark world when the Ninth Circuit held that district courts have jurisdiction to alter or cancel trademark applications. ...more
Trademark law protects businesses’ brand identities and helps prevent consumer confusion. The U.S. trademark system operates at both federal and state levels. Federal registration through the United States Patent and...more
As the prospect of federal rescheduling of cannabis looms, some in the industry are seemingly attempting to preserve their spot in line at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. A recent Trademark Trial and Appeal...more
On May 21, 2024, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) filed the Proposed Rule to move marijuana from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to Schedule III of the CSA. In light of the rescheduling marijuana news,...more
Republic Technologies (NA) LLC (“Republic”) filed an application to register the proposed mark 4:20 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”). Republic amended its goods twice during prosecution of the...more
Apologies for the cannabis puns in the title, but they are required by law. Okay, you are correct. That is not true. But it is true that trademark protection is important for individuals in the cannabis industry. Earlier this...more
In a precedential decision earlier this month, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board upheld refusals to register two trademarks owned by National Concessions Group Inc. (“National”) on the ground that the goods – essential oil...more
Although commercial use of a trademark alone triggers rights in a mark, wise business owners endeavor to take advantage of the added benefits and protections conveyed by federal registration. One of the most important...more
Thank you for reading the April 2022 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter. This month, we discuss two ongoing administrative legal challenges to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's policies on...more
The September 2021 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter discusses a recent non-precedential Trademark Trial and Appeal Board decision regarding intent-to-use applications covering CBD products currently...more
[co-author: Richa Patel, Summer Associate] The July 2021 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter discusses fluid trademarks and the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act. Plus, check out the answer key...more
Companies entering into the emerging market for medical and recreational marijuana products and services will face unique challenges when attempting to protect trademarks. Such challenges include brand protection in states...more
Products containing cannabidiol (“CBD”), a compound derived from cannabis, are part of a growing market that some analysts have projected will reach over $2.3 billion by 2022. CBD products—from gummy bears and pet products to...more
In a case affecting the fast-growing legal cannabis industry, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB” or “Board”) affirmed the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (“USPTO”) refusal to register two trademarks for...more
The past several years arguably have been some of the best for the cannabis industry since marijuana was originally criminalized in the early 20th century. ...more
The United States Patent and Trademark Office will now allow federal trademark registration for marks used on some hemp-based products, including those containing hemp-derived CBD, except for foods, beverages, dietary...more
Cannabidiol (commonly referred to as "CBD") has been in the news for several years now, due to its touted health and wellness benefits. This is especially the case since the Agricultural Act of 2018, or AIA, became law in...more
While the legal landscape continues to evolve in the cannabis industry, making entry into the space a potentially risky proposition, the passage of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the “Farm Bill”) can be a real game...more
In almost every industry, businesses expend significant capital and resources to develop their brand, which, although intangible, is often the most valuable piece of property a business owns....more
A fog of uncertainty surrounds regulations in the marijuana industry. At the federal level, the plant is still a Schedule 1 substance under the Controlled Substances Act and, therefore, federally illegal to possess, sell, and...more
Recently, Oklahoma joined the ranks of the 30 states that have legalized medical marijuana, but the state still has work to do on just how to implement its new law. As usual, the devil is in the details. Even though Oklahoma...more
Whether operating in states that allow medical marijuana like Arizona or in states that allow it both medically and recreationally like Colorado, business owners in the marijuana industry want to protect their brands just...more
Introduction – Is Patenting Cannabis Legal? Early protection of intellectual property is a critical component in any business’s efforts to secure a competitive advantage in the marketplace. In the cannabis space, efforts...more
Can marijuana businesses receive federal copyright protection? Yes. The requirements for registration with the U.S. Copyright Office are that the work is original, creative and fixed in some form of expression. These...more
In a precedential opinion, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) affirmed a USPTO refusal to register the trademark HERBAL ACCESS on the basis the use of the mark in commerce was unlawful under the Controlled Substances...more