We’re a VC firm – we don’t sell consumer products – why do we need to care about trademarks?
For any business, one’s good name is one of its most essential assets. That is especially true in venture capital, where,...more
On April 8, 2020, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit reversed the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (the Board) and held that multicolor designs can be inherently distinctive – and thus immediately eligible for...more
On June 24, 2019, the US Supreme Court issued its long-awaited ruling in Iancu v. Brunetti, holding that a federal law barring registration of "immoral" and "scandalous" is an unconstitutional violation of the Free Speech...more
6/25/2019
/ Appeals ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
First Amendment ,
Free Speech ,
Iancu v. Brunetti ,
Lanham Act ,
Reaffirmation ,
Reversal ,
Scandalous/Immoral Marks ,
SCOTUS ,
Trademark Registration ,
Trademarks ,
USPTO ,
Viewpoint Discrimination
On January 4, 2019, the Supreme Court of the United States agreed to hear the United States Patent and Trademark Office's ("USPTO") appeal of In re Brunetti, 877 F.3d 1330 (Fed. Cir. 2017). In taking this case, it appears...more
Most everybody knows about "Serial," the award-winning investigative journalism podcast that tells a story in … serial form. Despite the podcast’s popularity and recognition in the media, the US Patent and Trademark Office's...more
In a much-anticipated and yet unsurprising outcome, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on December 15 struck the law barring registration of "immoral" or "scandalous" trademarks as unconstitutional in violation...more
A unanimous US Supreme Court affirmed on June 19, 2017 a lower court decision striking a law prohibiting registration of trademarks that “may disparage” because it violated the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment to the...more
6/21/2017
/ Disparagement ,
First Amendment ,
Free Speech ,
Lanham Act ,
Matal v Tam ,
Music Industry ,
Redskins ,
SCOTUS ,
The Slants ,
Trademark Registration ,
Trademarks ,
USPTO