The Briefing: Trademark Basics - Protecting Names, Logos, and Brands in Entertainment
PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Trending Now: An IP Podcast - Cease and Desist Letters: Protecting Your Intellectual Property the Right Way
(Podcast) The Briefing: Sinking the Rogers Test? What Pepperdine’s Lawsuit Could Mean for Hollywood
The Briefing: Sinking the Rogers Test? What Pepperdine’s Lawsuit Could Mean for Hollywood
Mickey Mouse: un ratón con abogado
(Podcast) The Briefing: Trademark Mayhem – Lady Gaga Gets Sued for Trademark Infringement
The Briefing: Trademark Mayhem – Lady Gaga Gets Sued for Trademark Infringement
The Briefing: Everyone Loves the HBO Series 'White Lotus,' Except Duke University
(Podcast) The Briefing: Everyone Loves the HBO Series 'White Lotus,' Except Duke University
What Were the Cooler Wars? (Part 2) — No Infringement Intended Podcast
The Briefing: Court Drowns Pepperdine's 'Waves' Trademark Battle Against Netflix
(Podcast) The Briefing: Court Drowns Pepperdine's 'Waves' Trademark Battle Against Netflix
The Briefing: The Stanley Cup Clash - A Trademark Battle (Podcast)
The Briefing: The Stanley Cup Clash - A Trademark Battle
(Podcast) The Briefing: Bad Spaniels – Infringement? No. Dilution? Yes
The Briefing: Bad Spaniels – Infringement? No. Dilution? Yes
Can My Trademark Be a Victim of Genericide? — No Infringement Intended Podcast
PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Trending Now: An IP Podcast - Leverage Your IP - Residual Goodwill in Trademarks
Recognizing and Avoiding Trademark Scams and Hoaxes
Why Did the World Wrestling Federation Become WWE? — No Infringement Intended Podcast
A federal district court in Tennessee granted a motion for a default judgment in the franchisor’s favor against its former franchisee requiring the franchisee to pay damages and comply with the post-termination obligations...more
In a tIPsheet article titled “SCOTUS rules Lanham Act does not have extraterritorial reach” published on July 20, 2023, we discussed Abitron Austria GmbH v. Hetronic Int’l, Inc., 600 U.S. 412 (2023), a U.S. Supreme Court case...more
The Second Circuit issued a ruling on May 28, 2024, in a trade dress case, affirming the district court's decision that Redemption Whiskey diluted the trademark and trade dress rights of Bulleit Whiskey since Redemption's...more
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
Wayfarers Chapel, a Rancho Palos Verdes church, sued Malibu wedding chapel Calamigos Ranch on trademark and trade dress infringement grounds, as well as unfair competition. Interestingly, Wayfarers Chapel alleged in their...more
On Friday, June 23, 2023, Judge Jed Rakoff issued a highly anticipated decision, permanently enjoining artist Mason Rothschild from selling “MetaBirkin” NFTs, which depict furry, digital versions of the Hermès signature...more
On the heels of a class action lawsuit filed by visual artists against Stability AI and others, alleging copyright infringement by image-generating web sites, Getty Images (US) Inc. has filed its own lawsuit against Stability...more
We previously wrote about a series of trademark lawsuits filed by NBA MVP and now NBA champion Giannis Antetokounmpo over the use of his nickname “Greek Freak”. Those lawsuits all contained similar allegations: that the...more
Like me, Judge Otis D. Wright of the Central District of California remembers KOOL. A once leading menthol cigarette label, KOOL brands and its owner ITG Brands, LLC sued Capna Intellectual claiming Capna’s Bloom Brands’ use...more
It was my first day as President and Counsel of Hershey Chocolate & Confectionery Corporation. Armed with a shiny new corporate credit card, I strolled into a cannabis dispensary and prepared to buy some marijuana. No, I...more
Revenge for Infringing Candy Trademarks? So Sweet. Two recent court decisions highlight that there may still be a bit of a disconnect when it comes to branding cannabis products. In other words, even if your product is...more
[co-author: Sahar A. Ahmed, Law Clerk] The May 2021 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter discusses the USPTO's new Native American Tribal Insignia Database and two recent trademark litigation cases...more
The US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed a district court’s stay of a permanent injunction against copyright infringement and trade secret misappropriation, permitting the infringer to continue use of an...more
The Federal Court of Canada (the “FCTD“) recently released Toys “R” Us (Canada) Ltd v Herbs “R” Us Wellness Society, in which it considered whether a cannabis company, Herbs “R” Us Wellness Society (“Herbs R Us“), had...more
In a recent decision of Canada’s Federal Court illustrates the danger of adopting a mark or name “inspired” by a famous or well-known brand, even when confusion is unlikely. The decision is a cautionary tale, particularly for...more
A federal court in Maryland entered default judgment and a permanent injunction in favor of an ice cream franchisor against a franchisee that continued operating its ice cream shop after termination....more
Ohio Federal Court Awards Damages to Matco for Breach of Contract, Trademark Infringement, and Misappropriation of Trade Secrets - A federal court in Ohio has granted a franchisor’s unopposed motion for summary judgment...more
In finding a fair use defense and no “likelihood of confusion” in a cosmetics trademark infringement dispute, the US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit also considered, as an issue of first impression, whether the Seventh...more
On January 30, 2019, the luxury jewelry suppliers Van Cleef & Arpels filed suit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against Nice Ice Fine Jewelers, LLC (“Defendant”). Van Cleef & Arpels’...more
On July 18, 2018 the well-known luxury goods company, Cartier International AG and Cartier, a division of Richemont North America Inc. (collectively, “Cartier” or “Plaintiffs”) filed suit in the United States District Court...more
The Intellectual Property High Court (IPHC) rendered a judgement on 29 March 2018, granting a permanent injunction on the sale of shelving units marketed by the defendant....more
A recent decision of the Federal Court of Appeal sheds light on a streamlined litigation procedure that brand owners may find attractive. In Group III International Ltd v Travelway Group International Ltd, 2017 FCA 215...more
Smart & Biggar prevails at trial on behalf of Diageo in trade dress case. On June 12, 2017, the Federal Court issued its 99-page decision in Diageo Canada Inc v Heaven Hill Distilleries Inc et al, 2017 FC 571. The Court...more
Airwair, the owner of the Dr. Martens brand, recently launched a series of lawsuits in the Northern District of California to enforce the trade dress of its “iconic boots and shoes.” One lawsuit was filed in October against...more
In Partial Trademark Victory over Chinese Sportswear Company, MJ Posterizes Unauthorized User of Chinese Version of His Name - In Game 3 of the first round of the 1991 NBA Eastern Conference playoffs between the New York...more