News & Analysis as of

Lanham Act Intellectual Property Litigation

Fish & Richardson

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

Fish & Richardson on

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

McDermott Will & Emery

Royal Play Penalty: No Standing in the End (Zone)

McDermott Will & Emery on

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit dismissed an appeal from the Trademark Trial & Appeal Board, finding that the appellant lacked standing because it failed to allege any actual and particularized injury. Michael...more

Knobbe Martens

Fireball Frenzy: When First Registering a Mark, Genericness of a Mark Is Determined at the Time of Registration

Knobbe Martens on

BULLSHINE DISTILLERY LLC v. SAZERAC BRANDS, LLC - Before Moore, Reyna and Taranto. Appeal from the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. In assessing genericness, the TTAB considers how the mark was understood at the time of...more

Weintraub Tobin

The Briefing: Everyone Loves the HBO Series 'White Lotus,' Except Duke University

Weintraub Tobin on

Can HBO be sued over a T-shirt? Scott Hervey and Tara Sattler unpack Duke University’s beef with 'White Lotus' after a character wore a Duke tee on screen. Does this cross the legal line—or is it just creative expression?...more

McGlinchey Stafford

The #1 Reason to Register Your Trademark

McGlinchey Stafford on

There are many valuable benefits of registering one’s trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). A cursory Internet search will yield dozens of articles on the “Top 10” or “Top 5” reasons to...more

McDermott Will & Emery

Opposers Beware: Your Own Mark May Not Be Protectable

McDermott Will & Emery on

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the Trademark Trial & Appeal Board’s dismissal of an opposition to the registration of the marks IVOTERS and IVOTERS.COM while also noting that the US Patent &...more

Knobbe Martens

Zoned Out: The Zone of Natural Expansion Doctrine Can Only Be Used Defensively

Knobbe Martens on

DOLLAR FINANCIAL GROUP, INC. v. BRITTEX FINANCIAL, INC. [OPINION] - Before Prost, Taranto, and Hughes.  Appeal from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. The zone of natural...more

Fish & Richardson

TTAB Puts Pool Hall Behind the 8 Ball

Fish & Richardson on

On March 20, 2025, the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) granted an opposition filed by Jack’s Family Restaurants, LP, and denied an application filed by Jack’s Grill and Billiards, Inc., to register JACK’S...more

Vondran Legal

Flava Works pounds Illinois with new copyright movie piracy lawsuit

Vondran Legal on

If your handle is on this list, give us a call to discuss. Do not panic; Vondran Legal® can defend you and help you achieve an early settlement without expensive litigation to follow. We have helped many in your situation....more

Irwin IP LLP

Revving Up The Trade Dress Standard: Articulation First 

Irwin IP LLP on

Cardinal Motors, Inc. v. H&H Sports Protection USA Inc., No. 23-cv-7586 (2d Cir. Feb. 6, 2025) - On February 6, 2025, the Second Circuit held that the “articulation requirement” for a trade dress complaint—a pleading...more

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

US Supreme Court: 'Defendant’s Profits' Are Limited to Named Defendants Under the Lanham Act

Under the Lanham Act, a plaintiff who prevails on a trademark infringement claim may be entitled to recover the “defendant’s profits” as damages. The Supreme Court in Dewberry Group, Inc. v. Dewberry Engineers Inc....more

McDermott Will & Emery

No Bull: Historically Generic Term Can Become Non-Generic

McDermott Will & Emery on

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed Trademark Trial & Appeal Board rulings, finding that a previously generic term was not generic at the time registration was sought because at that time the mark, as...more

Irwin IP LLP

Time To “Dew” It Again. 

Irwin IP LLP on

Dewberry Group, Inc., FKA Dewberry Capital Corp v. Dewberry Engineers Inc., No. 23-900, 604 U.S. (2025) - On February 26, 2025, the United States Supreme Court unanimously overturned a $43 million damages award arising out...more

Fitch, Even, Tabin & Flannery LLP

The Supreme Court Clarifies Definition of “Defendant’s Profits” Under the Lanham Act

On February 26, the U.S. Supreme Court in Dewberry Group, Inc. v. Dewberry Engineers Inc. unanimously held that an award of “defendant’s profits” under the Lanham Act in a trademark infringement suit is only ascribable to the...more

Morrison & Foerster LLP

Supreme Court’s Dewberry Decision: Navigating Profit Recovery in Trademark Infringement Cases

Can a defendant’s affiliates’ profits be considered when awarding the “defendant’s” profits to the prevailing plaintiff in a trademark infringement suit under the Lanham Act, § 1117(a)? In Dewberry Group, Inc. v Dewberry...more

Goodwin

Supreme Court Curtails Disgorgement in Trademark Infringement Case

Goodwin on

On February 26, 2025, the US Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision limiting the scope of an award of the “defendant’s profits” in trademark infringement suits under the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. §1117(a), to only those...more

Fenwick & West LLP

SCOTUS Stands by Corporate Separateness, Overturns Nearly $43M Award in Trademark Dispute

Fenwick & West LLP on

The Supreme Court on February 26, 2025, overturned a nearly $43 million award granted in a decades long trademark dispute between two real estate companies. The unanimous ruling emphasized that under the Lanham Act section...more

Baker Donelson

Supreme Court Limits Reach of Trademark Infringement Damages: Affiliation Insufficient

Baker Donelson on

The Supreme Court recently issued its opinion in Dewberry Group, Inc., FKA Dewberry Capital Corp. v. Dewberry Engineers Inc. (23-900, Feb. 26, 2025), and addressed the issue of awarding profits in a trademark infringement...more

WilmerHale

Supreme Court Vacates Trademark Infringement Disgorgement Award for Failure to Observe Separateness of Corporate Affiliates

WilmerHale on

On February 26, 2025, the Supreme Court decided Dewberry Group, Inc. v. Dewberry Engineers Inc., No. 23-900, a case concerning corporate separateness and disgorgement awards for Lanham Act trademark infringement....more

BakerHostetler

Supreme Court Upholds Corporate Separateness in Unanimous Dewberry Decision

BakerHostetler on

In Dewberry Group, Inc. v. Dewberry Engineers, Inc., the Supreme Court unanimously held that the Lanham Act does not permit courts to disregard corporate identity when awarding damages for trademark infringement....more

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

SCOTUS Holds Affiliate Profits Not Available Under One Lanham Act Provision, But Leaves Door Open for Other Theories

Dorsey & Whitney LLP on

The United States Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in Dewberry Group, Inc. v. Dewberry Engineers Inc., vacating a nearly $43 million profits award and remanding the case for further consideration. The Court concluded...more

Kilpatrick

Guarding the Guardrails: The Supreme Court Places Limits on the Equitable Remedy of an Accounting of Profits Under Section 35 of...

Kilpatrick on

I. Introduction - A prevailing plaintiff under the Lanham Act may be entitled to several forms of monetary relief, among them an accounting of the defendant’s profits under Section 35 of the Act.1 The prospect of a...more

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.

Supreme Court Overturns Nearly $43 Million Trademark Infringement Award Based on Section 35 of the Lanham Act

The U.S. Supreme Court’s opinion in the Dewberry Group, Inc. v. Dewberry Engineers Inc. case was released Wednesday. In a unanimous opinion, the Court found that Section 35 of the Lanham Act, which provides that a plaintiff...more

Venable LLP

Out of the Doghouse? Jack Daniel's Marks Tarnished but Not Infringed by Bad Spaniels Toy

Venable LLP on

On January 23, 2025, the United States District Court for the District of Arizona issued a final decision ending the intensely disputed, decade-long litigation between Jack Daniel's Properties, Inc. and VIP Products LLC....more

McDermott Will & Emery

Trade Dress Requires Separate Articulation and Distinctiveness Requirements

McDermott Will & Emery on

The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit vacated and remanded a district court’s dismissal of a complaint for trade dress infringement and unfair competition, finding that the district court erred in requiring the...more

75 Results
 / 
View per page
Page: of 3

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"

Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra:
*By using the service, you signify your acceptance of JD Supra's Privacy Policy.
- hide
- hide