Is My Guitar Pedal a Klone or a Counterfeit? — No Infringement Intended Podcast
(Podcast) The Briefing: Who Owns WallStreetBets? Trademark Use in Commerce and the Reddit Battle
The Briefing: Who Owns WallStreetBets? Trademark Use in Commerce and the Reddit Battle
(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
(Podcast) The Briefing: Who Owns Jack Nicklaus? Lessons for The Creator Economy From a Brand Battle
(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) 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: The Stanley Cup Clash - A Trademark Battle (Podcast)
The Briefing: The Stanley Cup Clash - A Trademark Battle
Recognizing and Avoiding Trademark Scams and Hoaxes
Why Did the World Wrestling Federation Become WWE? — No Infringement Intended Podcast
(Podcast) The Briefing: Trademark Turbulence – Oakland vs SFO in Trademark Showdown
The Briefing: Trademark Turbulence – Oakland vs SFO in Trademark Showdown
(Podcast) The Briefing: Bad Spirits – How a Dog Toy Changed TV Title Clearance
While reality stars often use their on-camera exposure to kick-start their personal brand, sustaining momentum relies heavily on cultivating a strong social media presence to stay connected with their audience. Not...more
Columbia Sportswear and Columbia University both use the word mark “COLUMBIA” on apparel. To prevent confusion and avoid a trademark fight, the parties entered into a co-existence agreement in 2023 to let the University keep...more
In this episode of The Upper Brand, hosts Kristine Young and Rich Assmus delve into the Penn State v. Vintage Brands case, exploring the complexities of trademark use in collegiate merchandise. They discuss the legal...more
Fanatics, LLC v FanFirm Pty Ltd [2025] FCAFC 87 - The Full Federal Court of Australia has passed judgment on a clash between local sports merchandiser, FanFirm Pty Limited, and a global opponent, Fanatics, LLC in a case about...more
In a recent decision establishing important precedent for trademark rights associated with digital assets, the Court of Appeals in Yuga Labs, Inc. v. Ripps, Case No. 24-879, 2025 WL 2056060 (9th Cir. July 23, 2025), clarified...more
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
The Denver Broncos told a Colorado state court Friday that a now-defunct coffee company illegally used the team’s intellectual property to sell products even though it owed the team over $1.5 million....more
In this episode, Austin Padgett and Rusty Close venture into the dynamic world of guitar pedals, focusing on the iconic Klon Centaur and its creator's legal showdown with Behringer's Centaur Overdrive. While many Klon...more
Nike and Sneaker Customizer Lace Up a Settlement - On June 18, 2025, Nike, Inc. (“Nike”) and Dominic Ciambrone (“Ciambrone”), founder of the shoe customization outfit, The Shoe Surgeon, entered into a confidential...more
Watching a Cubs game from a nearby rooftop sounds like an ideal afternoon. At Wrigley Field, it became a business. For years, rooftop owners near the stadium sold tickets, served food and drinks, and offered fans a unique...more
In this episode of The Upper Brand, Richard Assmus, Kristine Young, and Christa Cole delve into key court cases that have shaped trademark law. They explore the intricacies of functional and generic trademarks, with insights...more
The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit concluded that a non-fungible token (NFT) is a “good” under the Lanham Act but reversed the district court’s grant of summary judgment for trademark infringement because the owner...more
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
The Singapore Court of Appeal's decision in East Coast Podiatry Centre Pte Ltd v Family Podiatry Centre Pte Ltd [2025] SGCA 28 ("East Coast Podiatry") marks a significant development in Singapore's trade mark jurisprudence,...more
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
Affirming a summary judgment decision finding no trademark infringement under the Lanham Act, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit determined that the district court properly focused on domestic activity with regard...more
In the ongoing trademark dispute between The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) against online retailer Vintage Brand, LLC (Vintage), along with its manufacturer and distributor Sportswear Inc. d/b/a Prep Sportswear...more
The UK Supreme Court has allowed Dream Pairs’ appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal and confirmed that post-sale confusion alone is sufficient for UK trade mark infringement to be established because damage to...more
The UK Supreme Court recently handed down judgement in the case of Iconix Luxembourg Holdings SARL v. Dream Pairs Europe Inc. The decision has provided important clarity on the question of whether post-sale confusion is...more
The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld a district court’s summary judgment decision that a co-owner of a trademark cannot bring infringement or dilution claims under the Lanham Act against other co-owners or...more
Most companies would love to have their product become a viral sensation, but in the age of viral media and “internet dupes,” companies are forced to fire on all cylinders to successfully secure and defend the intellectual...more
Two years after the US Supreme Court’s decision in Abitron Austria GmbH v. Hetronic International, Inc., US trademark owners and global businesses continue to grapple with its implications for cross-border enforcement. The...more
The Court ruled that the post-sale context can be relevant when establishing similarity between trade marks....more
In the linked article about a trademark dispute, the author notes that the plaintiff claimed the defendant used a “copyrighted name.” Just a reminder: one can patent inventions, copyright creative works of expression, and...more
Often, individuals joining together on a project believe they should each own the name they choose. Indeed, it only seems fair. But having multiple owners of a single trademark is a recipe for trouble, and the partners would...more