The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, known as the USPTO, filed a petition in July with the U.S. Supreme Court. The agency is asking the high court to review a decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. The appeals court held that while "booking" is a...
Trademark Law
Trademark dispute pits power couple against wedding planner
No married couple in history has sold more musical recordings than Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter and her husband Shawn Corey Carter, better known professionally as Beyoncé and Jay-Z, of course. The California residents' twins were born in the state,...
Sports IP news: from Tom Terrific to Taco Tuesdays
sports fans love the Giants, 49ers, Sharks and Warriors, but we also appreciate stars on other teams. One of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history is a local guy, in fact. New England Patriots QB Tom Brady was born just a few miles south of in San Mateo.Brady...
Taco John’s sends cease-and-desist letter for “Taco Tuesday”
Wyoming-based fast-food restaurant Taco John's was issued a federal trademark for TACO TUESDAY back in 1989. Readers may be surprised to hear this, as the phrase sounds pretty, well, generic. Several media sources report that Taco John's sent a...
Michael Jackson estate objects to KingOfPop.com to sell popcorn
At our law firm, we advocate for our clients who may be on either side of lawsuits over domain name ownership as well as those concerning cybersquatting. These legal proceedings, which often involve trademark infringement, are disputes about rightful ownership and use...
Cultural appropriation and trademark
Kim Kardashian has announced her choice of "kimono" for branding her new line of intimate wear. The choice of kimono has caused some social media stir because of the deep cultural role of the traditional robe called a kimono in Japanese culture. Kimono is culturally...
Rejecting immoral or scandalous trademarks is unconstitutional
On June 24, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down part of federal trademark law in the Lanham Act, finding that its prohibition on registration of immoral or scandalous trademarks violated the right to free speech and expression that the First Amendment to the U.S....
Trademark dispute: Guns N’ Roses is not amused over Guns N’ Rosé
In another intellectual property dispute involving a rock band, metal group Guns N' Roses sued a Longmont, Colorado, brewery on May 9 over a new craft beer branded as Guns N' Rosé. The complaint for trademark infringement, filed in U.S. District Court for the Central...
Chicago Cubs victorious again! This time, before the TTAB.
After a 108-year lull, the Chicago Cubs won the World Series in 2016. No one who watched the games could argue against the enthusiasm and loyalty of Cubs fans. You might even be able to call some of them obsessed or even -- obnoxious.Right on time for a new baseball...
Mr. and Mrs. Bieber file for trademarks based on their names
In September, pop star Justin Bieber and model Hailey Baldwin tied the knot. Now, Hailey Bieber is taking serious steps to preserve rights to use her new name for business purposes. TMZ reported that she has filed a trademark application to register "Bieber Beauty"...