(Podcast) The Briefing - The Doctrine of Foreign Equivalents: What It Means for Your Brand
(Podcast) The Briefing: Trademark Basics – Protecting Names, Logos, and Brands in Entertainment
The Briefing: Trademark Basics - Protecting Names, Logos, and Brands in Entertainment
Recognizing and Avoiding Trademark Scams and Hoaxes
(Podcast) The Briefing: Thirsty for Clarity – Brand Confusion In The Beverage Category
The Briefing: Thirsty for Clarity – Brand Confusion In The Beverage Category
The Briefing: Affiliate Marketing vs Retail Services - TTAB's Landmark Ruling
AGG Talks: Cross-Border Business - How Foreign Companies Can Protect Their IP and Brand in the U.S.
(Podcast) The Briefing: It’s Not Yabba-Dabba-Delicious – TTAB Denies Color Mark for Post Fruity Pebbles!
The Briefing: It’s Not Yabba-Dabba-Delicious – TTAB Denies Color Mark for Post Fruity Pebbles!
(Podcast) The Briefing: SCOTUS to Determine if USPTO Refusal to Register TRUMP TOO SMALL is Unconstitutional
The Briefing: SCOTUS to Determine if USPTO Refusal to Register TRUMP TOO SMALL is Unconstitutional
PODCAST: Paralegal Insights: A Collaborative Trademark Practice, Series 4
The Briefing by the IP Law Blog – No Beating Around the Bush: TTAB Upholds Anti-Pot Policy
Podcast: The Briefing by the IP Law Blog – No Beating Around the Bush: TTAB Upholds Anti-Pot Policy
Podcast: The Briefing by the IP Law Blog - USPTO Suspends Action on Trademark Applications Targeting Names of Public Figures
The Briefing by the IP Law Blog: USPTO Suspends Action on Trademark Applications Targeting Names of Public Figures
PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Trending Now: An IP Podcast - Paralegal Insights: A Collaborative Trademark Practice
Podcast: The Briefing by the IP Law Blog - Could a Trademark Search Have Saved ‘The Cleveland Indians’ Botched Rebrand?
The Briefing by the IP Law Blog: Could a Trademark Search Have Saved ‘The Cleveland Indians’ Botched Rebrand?
In today’s crowded tech marketplace, brand identity is one of a company’s most valuable assets. A well-chosen trademark doesn’t just help consumers recognize your business – it also provides legal protection against copycats...more
Picking a new business name? A trademark is more than just a logo — it’s your brand identity. If you invest in a weak or unregistrable name, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) may refuse registration. That...more
You came up with a clever brand name in a foreign language—great! But did you know it might be refused by the USPTO? In this episode of The Briefing, Scott Hervey and Richard Buckley break down what a doctrine is, how...more
October seems to be the inescapable Taylor Swift’s unofficial month of choice – 17 years after she released her self-titled first album in October 2006, the October 2023 news cycle is buzzing about her “Taylor Swift: The Eras...more
Thank you for reading the October 2023 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter. This month, we discuss the Federal Circuit’s recent case considering the scope of the USPTO’s authority to cancel registrations...more
The small blue bird adorning nearly every company’s social media section. The verbiage “tweet” and “retweet” working their way into the fabric of modern language. The creation of character-limited, short-form posts as a new...more
A trademark can be any word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination of these features that helps differentiate your goods or services from others. Businesses should consider seeking trademark registrations to protect their...more
Regardless of whether your business has any current plans to develop digital goods, including “non-fungible tokens” (NFTs), a recent verdict in a first-of-its-kind case involving trademark rights and digital assets should...more
Business owners will occasionally express a desire to protect their brand without much knowledge as to the purpose of a trademark or the intricacies involved in the trademark application process. What is a...more
Congratulations! Your company just acquired a batch of trademarks from a third party. There are a lot of minutiae to manage, so how do you decide what to do first? Here are some suggestions for actions you may want to...more
Due to the sheer volume of recent media coverage, readers of this blog are likely familiar with the “metaverse,” or the idea of a virtual world where users can interact with an immersive computer-generated environment,...more
Trademark filings in the metaverse and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) space are a hot topic these days in the media and IP Bar, and many brand owners are asking themselves whether it’s time to join in or risk being left behind....more
Earlier in the year, the Canadian Trademarks Office announced new measures intended to improve delays in the processing of trademark applications. With the time to examination for national applications exceeding three years...more
Tucked into last December’s stimulus and relief package were critical reforms in intellectual property law, designed to empower trademark and copyright owners by providing stronger enforcement tools. The Trademark...more
Some foreign brand owners may be surprised to learn that in Canada, when seeking to protect design (or figurative) marks, it is sometimes better to register marks in black and white in cases where the marks would normally be...more
Owning a federal trademark registration provides the ability to exclude others from using a certain word or design in association with specific goods or services. In the United States this exclusivity of rights, however, can...more
Pursuing the registration of a federal trademark or service mark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) is among one of the most advantageous and essential first steps for any new business owner. ...more
United States trademark law makes a strong distinction between “descriptive” and “generic” terms. The former are potentially accorded substantial benefits, while the latter can never be entitled to protection and are not...more
The Federal Circuit in In re JC Hospitality LLC recently affirmed the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Trial and Appeal Board’s refusal to register the service mark THE JOINT for a venue offering...more
Most entrepreneurs have a general understanding that trademarks are good for business. However, many overlook the importance of having a trademark strategy in place. Simply put, a trademark can be a unique combination of...more
The mark must be used “in Commerce” and in good faith in the ordinary course of trade. While the USPTO will generally not conduct an inquiry, the applicant must claim use that qualifies as “Use in U.S. Commerce”. ...more
Trademarks are among the most valuable assets owned by companies that focus on individual consumers — from breweries to start-up app developers. Trademarks protect brands and can be found in the form of words (COCA COLA),...more
A decision from the Federal Circuit clarified how the USPTO should analyze evidence of fame under the fifth DuPont factor. The decision sheds light on how fashion brands can establish that their marks are famous through...more
Trademarks protect distinctive marks, such as brand names, logos, and designs. This protection allows a trademark holder to exclude others from using the mark without permission of the owner. The following includes important,...more
We are tickled pink when we get to work with trademark registrations that issued before we were born. (We won’t say when that was.) It’s nifty to be the steward of a trademark that has stood the test of time and that may...more