What comes to mind when you hear the term “LifeProof”? Does it immediately make you think of something that protects from all of life’s hazards or does it merely suggest
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Anticipated Oral Argument Finally Heard
This morning, the United States Supreme Court heard the long-anticipated oral argument in the Lee v. Tam trademark dispute. The issue in the case, as reported on the SCOTUS blog
The First Amendment and Trademark Licensing at Public Universities: NORML Rules Apply
Next week (12/14/2016), in a marble tiled courtroom in frosty St. Paul, Minnesota, a panel of judges of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals will wrestle with a question that
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Disparaging Trademark Dispute Heats Up Before Supreme Court
The ongoing battle before the United States Supreme Court regarding the ability to register disparaging trademarks, prior details of which can be found in earlier blog posts here, here
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The U.S. Olympic Committee’s Unique Ability to Enforce Its Trademarks
The U.S. Olympic Committee, like many other major sports organizations, does not shy away from enforcing its trademarks. In addition to enforcing use of the words “Olympic,” “Olympics,” and “Olympiad”
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No Love for DC!: USPTO Cancels I♥DC Registration for Failure to Function as a Trademark
When is a trademark not a trademark? When it no longer performs the source identification function for which it was adopted. In a recent decision of the Trademark Trial and
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Charities Enforce Trademarks Too
Trademark infringement disputes are not limited to those between for-profit companies. Indeed, charities also own trademarks and they can and do enforce their trademarks against other organizations (charitable or not)
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SCOTUS Will Not Hear Redskins’ Trademark Dispute
Today the Supreme Court announced that it will not hear the Washington Redskins’ trademark dispute, despite the fact that the Supreme Court announced last week that it will hear the
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SCOTUS Will Hear The Slants’ Trademark Dispute
This morning, the United States Supreme Court granted certiorari to hear the trademark dispute involving the rock band, The
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Will the Redskins Lose Their Trademarked Name?
There has been much debate and discussion over whether the Redskins—Washington D.C.’s professional football team in the National Football League—should voluntarily change their name under the view that it disparages
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