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Trademark Application Trademark Litigation

Knobbe Martens

One Name, Two Claims: Prince’s Estate and Apollonia Clash Over Trademark Rights

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Bono, Madonna, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Eminem, Drake, Cher, Sting, Lorde, Flea, Adele, Bjork, Seal, Pink: these celebrities all share the same elite status of fame to be known by a single name. But the standalone celebrity name...more

DarrowEverett LLP

Trademark Rights Explained: Common Law vs. Federal Registration

DarrowEverett LLP on

Whether a business is launching a new product or rebranding an existing company, selecting a name, logo, or slogan is a crucial decision. Trademarks are powerful tools that identify the source of goods or services and protect...more

Knobbe Martens

Sunkist Squeezes Out a Win and Kisses Kist Goodbye!

Knobbe Martens on

SUNKIST GROWERS, INC. v. INTRASTATE DISTRIBUTORS, INC. - Before Prost, Taranto, and Stark.  Appeal from the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. The TTAB incorrectly found that similar trademarks created distinct commercial...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

Kissing cousins? SUNKIST and KIST deemed confusingly similar

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit reversed a Trademark Trial & Appeal Board decision, concluding that there was a likelihood of confusion between the marks KIST and SUNKIST when used in connection with soft...more

Fitch, Even, Tabin & Flannery LLP

The Federal Circuit takes on Kisses, Sunlight, and Soft Drinks

An application for a US trademark may be rejected if it is likely, when used on or in connection with the goods of the applicant, to cause confusion with another registered mark. On July 23, in Sunkist Growers, Inc. v....more

Ladas & Parry LLP

Federal Circuit: it’s not easy being green for colour marks

Ladas & Parry LLP on

Legal updates: case law analysis and intelligence - - The TTAB, applying the Milwaukee test, rejected an application for a dark green colour mark for medical gloves on the ground that it was generic - The Federal Circuit...more

Jaburg Wilk

Common Trademark Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

Jaburg Wilk on

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

Jaburg Wilk

The Trademark Registration Process: Step-by-Step Guide

Jaburg Wilk on

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

Knobbe Martens

The Federal Circuit Grounds US SPACE FORCE Trademark Application

Knobbe Martens on

IN RE THOMAS D. FOSTER, APC, - Before Moore, Prost, and Stoll. Appeal from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Section 2(a) of the Lanham Act bars registration of a pending application for a mark that falsely...more

Fish & Richardson

Trademark Application for French “Clothing” Unravels at the Federal Circuit

Fish & Richardson on

The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit recently affirmed a denial by the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) of an application filed by fashion house Vetements Group AG for VETEMENTS for various articles of...more

Knobbe Martens

Coloring Within the Lines: The Genericness Test for Color Trademarks

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IN RE: PT MEDISAFE TECHNOLOGIES - Before Prost, Clevenger, and Stark. Appeal from the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. A proposed color mark was found generic where the relevant public perceived the color to be a common...more

Fish & Richardson

Lack of Bona Fide Intent to Use Sends Alcohol Trademark Application Down the Drain

Fish & Richardson on

In a recent precedential decision, the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) upheld an opposition by Tequila Cuadra S. de RL de CV (“Tequila Cuadra”) and denied an application filed by Manufacturera de Botas Cuadra,...more

Knobbe Martens

Not Lost in Translation: Federal Circuit Clarifies Application of the Doctrine of Foreign Equivalents

Knobbe Martens on

IN RE: VETEMENTS GROUP AG - Before Prost, Wallach, and Chen. Appeal from the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. A party opposing application of the doctrine of foreign equivalents has the burden to show that the ordinary...more

Smart & Biggar

What the Canuck?! Understanding scandalous, obscene and immoral marks in Canada

Smart & Biggar on

“Scandalous, obscene or immoral” trademarks are not only unregistrable in Canada, but they are also unlawful to adopt in connection with a business “as a trademark or otherwise.” While similar prohibitions have been deemed...more

Fish & Richardson

Green Glove Trademark Application Gets Red Light From Federal Circuit

Fish & Richardson on

In a precedential decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit recently blessed the test used by the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) for denying registration to PT Medisafe Technologies for a...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

Farella Braun + Martel LLP

What's In a Name?: The Legal Landscape of Choosing Surnames as Trademarks

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

Farella Braun + Martel LLP

Trademark Applications Filed on an Intent-To-Use Basis Can Be Vulnerable To Challenge

In filing to register a trademark on an “intent-to-use” basis, the applicant must verify that it has a good faith “bona fide intention to use the mark in commerce.” 15 U.S.C. § 1051(b). Assuming there is nothing on the face...more

Fish & Richardson

No Space at the Trademark Office for US SPACE FORCE

Fish & Richardson on

In a rare precedential decision involving Section 2(a) of the Lanham Act, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit recently upheld a denial by the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) of applications filed for US...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

No Green Light to Register Color Mark for Medical Gloves

Addressing for the first time the test for determining whether a color mark is generic, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit adopted the Trademark Trial & Appeal Board’s Milwaukee test as the appropriate standard,...more

ArentFox Schiff

It’s Not Easy Being Green (If You Are a Color Trademark for Medical Gloves)

ArentFox Schiff on

In refusing registration of the color green for “chloroprene medical examination gloves,” the Federal Circuit adopted — for the first time — a legal test for genericness of color marks. The decision underscores the high...more

Jones Day

Gloves Off: Court Says No to Green Trademark Protection

Jones Day on

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit held that the test for determining whether a word mark is generic also applies to color marks....more

Erise IP

The Surge of Gulf of America Trademarks: A Unique Legal Landscape of Opportunities and Hurdles

Erise IP on

Since the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has seen a surge in trademark applications for the phrase. Seventeen new applications have been filed...more

Fish & Richardson

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

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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

International Lawyers Network

Can Trademarks Be Too Descriptive for Registration?

Suppose you want to register a trademark that identifies a source of goods/services for your business. What if the trademark describes an ingredient, quality, feature, function, characteristic, or purpose of your...more

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