What is a trademark? “A trademark can be any word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination of these that identifies your goods or services.” A trademark is how customers recognize you in the marketplace and distinguish you from your competitors. There are many different types of marks that can function as a trademark. It could […]
Companies and individuals who invent a product or brand are understandably protective of their invention. To see how far a company will go to protect its brand name is evident in a trademark lawsuit from June of 2014. It involves an innovative 12 year old and a dirty cell phone screen. While most 12 year […]
The fashion phenomenon Louis Vuitton filed a lawsuit in 2007 for trademark dilution and copyright infringement. The case was formally known as Louis Vuitton Malletier v. Haute Diggity Dog. The suit was against the pet product company called Haute Diggity Dog. It was based in Nevada and created a product line called Chewy Vuitton. They […]
Disney is one of the most recognized and loved names in the world. Going to Disney World or Disneyland is every child’s dream. They can see all their favorite characters like Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Cinderella, Snow White, Peter Pan and more. Yes, Disney knows how to create a fantasy world for children. Even when […]
If Richard Branson has his way, it might be. Mr. Branson, the tremendously successful entrepreneur and chairman and founder of the Virgin Group has instituted a policy whereby the company’s lawyers aggressively target any company that uses the name Virgin in its own name, its marketing materials or within its URL. The Virgin group has […]
The Voice of America was created in 1942. It became famous during World War II when radio emcees would broadcast news, songs, updates and even propaganda to US and Allied citizens, and also to listeners in “enemy territory” who could pick up the broadcast signal. By the end of World War II, they provided content […]
Intellectual Property… You know that wonderful system that aims to foster an environment in which creativity and innovation can flourish. It’s supposed to be a ‘feel good’ approach to knowing that you’re covered and no one can take advantage of your priceless and genuinely unique inventions. The laws behind IP are a bit more precise […]
In an an earlier blog we discussed how there has been a new IP Czar appointed. This blog post will discuss this topic in further detail. On Thursday 28 August, the White House announced that it is nominating a new Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator, Daniel H. Marti. The role of Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator otherwise […]
On August 12, 2014, the film director Terry Gilliam was sued over a mural painting in his latest movie, The Zero Theorem. A group of street artists, two from Argentina and one from Canada filed the lawsuit claiming the alleged plagiarizing their mural in Argentina. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Illinois and […]
