News & Analysis as of

Trademark Litigation Trademarks

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

ArentFox Schiff

EUIPO Rejects Thom Browne’s Four-Stripe Design Mark as Decorative, Not Distinctive

ArentFox Schiff on

The European Union (EU) Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has refused to register Thom Browne’s position trademark consisting of four horizontal white stripes placed on the upper left sleeve of garments....more

Weintraub Tobin

(Podcast) The Briefing: Trademark Smoked: The Fall of General Cigar’s COHIBA Registration

Weintraub Tobin on

After nearly 30 years of litigation, a federal court has canceled General Cigar’s U.S. trademarks for COHIBA cigars — all because of a little-known treaty and a Cuban brand once favored by Fidel Castro. What does this mean...more

Weintraub Tobin

The Briefing: Trademark Smoked: The Fall of General Cigar’s COHIBA Registration

Weintraub Tobin on

After nearly 30 years of litigation, a federal court has canceled General Cigar’s U.S. trademarks for COHIBA cigars — all because of a little-known treaty and a Cuban brand once favored by Fidel Castro. What does this mean...more

McDermott Will & Emery

No Fairytale Ending for Consumer Opposition: RAPUNZEL Reinforces Lexmark Standing Limits

McDermott Will & Emery on

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the Trademark Trial & Appeal Board’s dismissal of a trademark opposition brought by a consumer, holding that mere consumer interest is insufficient to establish...more

Kaufman & Canoles

K&C Sports & Entertainment Law Weekly Roundup - May 2025 #4

Kaufman & Canoles on

The former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. has pushed back against efforts to force him to hand over documents relating to his alleged sexual misconduct and hush money payments in a class action over the company’s...more

Kilpatrick

5 Key Takeaways | Recent Developments in US Trademark and Unfair Competition Law

Kilpatrick on

Kilpatrick partner Ted Davis spoke recently at the International Trademark Association’s annual meeting on recent developments in United States trademark and unfair competition law over the trailing twelve months....more

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

When Surfboards and Superstars Collide: How to Avoid a Wipeout [or Mayhem]

Pop icon Lady Gaga is no stranger to making waves, but a new lawsuit initiated by California-based surfboard company Lost International (aka Lost Surfboards), shows that even superstars can find themselves navigating choppy...more

Kaufman & Canoles

K&C Sports & Entertainment Law Weekly Roundup - May 2025 #3

Kaufman & Canoles on

French cinema icon Gérard Depardieu was convicted of sexually assaulting two women on a film set in Paris in 2021 and handed an 18-month suspended sentence....more

Farella Braun + Martel LLP

When Imitation is Neither Sincere Nor Flattering - Trademark Dilution

With changing laws and the ubiquity of cannabis and vaping product and service providers, leveraging the familiarity of established trademarks has become a common, albeit risky, marketing tactic. New brands often mimic...more

McDermott Will & Emery

Up in Smoke: Statutory Trademark Damages Can Exceed Actual Damages

McDermott Will & Emery on

Addressing a jury’s statutory damages award that surpassed the plaintiffs’ actual damages, the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the district court’s denial of the defendant’s motion for judgment as a...more

Mayer Brown

Non-Traditional Trademarks

Mayer Brown on

In the debut episode of The Upper Brand podcast, Mayer Brown attorneys Richard Assmus, Kristine Young, and Christa Cole delve into the evolving world of non-traditional trademarks—covering everything from colors and scents to...more

McDermott Will & Emery

False Connection: Post-Application Date Evidence Can Be Considered

McDermott Will & Emery on

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the Trademark Trial & Appeal Board’s refusal to register a mark on the grounds of false connection, explaining that the false connection inquiry can include evidence...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

Foley Hoag LLP - Making Your Mark

Brewed in San Diego: Trademark Lessons from America's Craft Beer Capital and Beyond

This year, the INTA Annual Meeting lands in sunny San Diego, California—a city known not only for its breathtaking coastline, laid-back vibe, and rich cultural diversity, but also for its dynamic landscape of iconic brands...more

Farella Braun + Martel LLP

In Limited Cases, Foreign Trademarks Can Affect U.S. Registration Rights

It is a basic tenet of trademark law that rights are jurisdictional. Trademark owners only have rights in the mark in the jurisdictions in which they have registered (or, in some cases, used) the mark....more

Felicello Law PC

What to Expect in a Copyright or Trademark Infringement Lawsuit

Felicello Law PC on

No matter what type of business you are in, trademark and copyright law can have significant effects on success and growth of your business. Both of these areas of law provide important rights over the intellectual property...more

Farella Braun + Martel LLP

With Trademark Claims Against Gray Market Goods, the Devil Is in the Details

When a third party purchases a manufacturer's goods intended for distribution outside of the U.S., and then imports those goods into and sells them to consumers in the U.S., the products are authentic, and so trademark...more

McDermott Will & Emery

Damages on Default Judgment Not Barred by Absence of Precise Amount in Complaint

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed and remanded a district court decision, allowing collection of actual damages in a default judgment where the complaint only sought damages “in an amount to be determined...more

McDermott Will & Emery

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

Proskauer - The Patent Playbook

Value and Risk of Overlapping Intellectual Property Protections

A well-orchestrated intellectual property strategy requires carefully and thoughtfully leveraging copyright, trademark, and patent laws, as highlighted by a recent decision handed down by the United Sates Court of Appeals for...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

Stinson LLP

Penn State Victory Maintains Uneasy Status Quo in Sports Merchandising Industry

Stinson LLP on

Most major universities have developed extremely lucrative business empires by exploiting the use of their trademarks and trade dress on apparel and merchandise, among other things. They have done so on the theory that the...more

Irwin IP LLP

Finding The Right Fit: The Test for Color Marks 

Irwin IP LLP on

In Re: PT Medisafe Technologies, No. 2023-1573 (Fed. Cir. April 29, 2025) - On April 29, 2025, the Federal Circuit adopted a test from the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB”) for determining whether a color mark is...more

1,456 Results
 / 
View per page
Page: of 59

"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