The U.S. Copyright Office (“USCO”) is expanding the right to repair digital devices via exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”)’s rules governing access to devices and software, which includes automobiles and medical devices. Enacted in 1998, the DMCA works to prohibit people from circumventing technological measures used by copyright owners to control access
Is it Actually “Made in USA”?
Recently, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) issued a new rule to prevent “Made in USA” labels from being used fraudulently. This new rule codifies the FTC’s policy which requires products which are labeled as “Made in USA”, to be supported by proof that all or virtually all of the product is made in the United
Name, Image and Likeness Legislation Changes College Sports
The NCAA announced that it will allow student-athletes throughout the country to profit from their name, image, and likeness (“NIL”) starting on July 1, 2021, which marks a major shift from the NCAA’s longstanding amateurism model. So far, nine states—including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, New Mexico, Texas, Kentucky, Ohio, Oregon, and Illinois—have signed NIL legislation
Want to Save Money? Address Your Trademark Issues Now.
For the first time in nearly three years, the USPTO will be adjusting its fees for Trademark Registrations and for filing fees related to proceedings involving the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB). Some fee increases are minimal (e.g., only about 10% increase to file an ex parte appeal). However, other fee increases are substantial,
Beware of Online Scammers
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has reported a three-fold increase in consumer reports about scams arising on social media since last year as well as a spike around the time the COVID-19 pandemic began. This includes reports about buying products that never arrived and about scams involving romance, economic relief, or income opportunities, which became
Getting Rich Covfefe
We live in an era where news, information, and trends move very quickly. Words, phrases, or ideas that were obscure or non-existent yesterday can be the top trending story tomorrow. These overnight trends are now routinely used by opportunists in trademark applications. But trademarks are meant to be used to identify the source of and
Taste Held Not Protectable Under European Copyright Laws
Earlier this month, the European Court of Justice ruled that the taste of a food product is not eligible for protection under EU copyright laws.
The ruling by European Union’s highest legal authority, which is binding on all EU member states, came in a lawsuit brought by the Dutch manufacturer of a popular spreadable cheese
Update: Brand Enforcement Challenges
The General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, took effect May 25, 2018. As predicted, the GDPR has complicated access to WHOIS information (commonly used to look up the contact information for website domains for, among other things, stopping others from infringing IP rights) and given ICANN (the corporation that manages WHOIS data) a headache.
The Looming (Brand Enforcement) Blackout
There are over 330 million domain names supporting over 1.8 billion websites having a unique hostname on the internet right now. But who owns each of these? There are many reasons one may want to identify the owner or operator of a particular domain or website. In addition to law enforcement and cyber security, owners
Creating Buzz Through Creative Brand Management
Today is International Women’s Day. As a way to celebrate, McDonald’s has flipped their iconic golden arches upside-down. The arches, one of the most recognizable logos, have been physically flipped in one California location but can be seen on McDonald’s social media channels