The latest trademark brand dispute involves two snack food companies with compelling messages to damn the diets and move full speed ahead to binge eating perdition. The marks allegedly likely to confuse snackers are “Get Crackin’” owned by Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds LLC and Utz Quality Foods LLC’s “Get Snacking!” While Wonderful is known for its … More Snack Attacks
The Federal Circuit affirmed the Trademark Trial & Appeal Board’s “TTAB” refusal to register the stylized Mark ‘CHURRASCOS’ for restuarant services finding the term generic as used for a restaurant, because the word “refers to beef or grilled meat more generally” and that the term “identifies a key characteristic or feature of the restaurant services, namely, … More HOLY CHURRASCOS!
Section 2(a) of the Lanham Act prohibiting the federal trademark registration of disparaging marks was recently held to violate the 1st Amendment freedom of speech protections by the Federal Circuit Court in “In Re Tam.” The mark refused registration is the name of an Asian-American rock band called “The Slants.” Though the band’s lead singer, … More “Disparaging” Trademark Meets Commercial Speech Protections
On April 27, I had the pleasure speaking at the Ferguson Library in Stamford as part of SCORE’s “Intellectual Property: What You Need To Know” Program. SCORE’s Fairfield County Chapter is an excellent resource for entrepreneurs seeking advice and mentoring about business issues. Of course the takeaway from my part of the presentation was that … More IP Trademark Presentation Stamford, CT
Originally posted on Statute of RyAnne:
I often get questions along the lines of, “Can I do this myself?” Most recently the questions center around, “Can I attempt a trademark registration of my name/logo/brand?” Admittedly, I do play for Team Lawyer; however, even if I did not play for the team, I would still answer…
The news cycle’s abuzz about the Dov Seidman trademark infringement claim against Chobani over use of the word how. The USPTO defines trademark as any word, phrase, symbol or design, or a combination of words, phrases, symbols or designs, that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others. The … More The “How” of Trademark Law
Brand development requires distinctive marks used to identify your goods or services. Registration of these marks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office ” USPTO” confers a number of benefits. Here are some of the most important. 1. Exclusive Nationwide use of the trademarks for branding and building sales through advertising and marketing, therefore … More Top Ten Trademark Registration Benefits
Oftentimes my clients express confusion as to what exactly a trademark does or does not do for them in business. As defined by statute, a trademark includes any word, name, symbol, or device, or any combination thereof (1) used by a person, or (2) which a person has a bona fide intention to use in commerce….to identify and … More Five Reasons Trademark Law Can Be Confusing
An interesting 1st Circuit opinion extended a hotel’s common law trademark into territory encroaching upon an incontestable junior registered mark of a competing hotel. In the case of Dorpan, S.L. v. Hotel Melià, Inc., Dorpan, a European hotel chain using the brand, Sol Melia, as a registered trademark faced off with the Hotel Melia “HMI” located … More Extending Use Under Trademark Law
For those of you who enjoy a fun case, the saga of Starbucks v. Wolfe’s Borough Coffee “WBC” is for you. During the course of this epic ten year battle pitting the famous international coffee purveyor against the small New England roaster, the law of trademark dilution has been analyzed, argued and then revised by … More Starbucks Charred Again
William Tennant 
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