As we previously reported, in January of this year, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) published its Draft 5th Amendment to the Chinese Trademark Law. See here. One of the proposed amendments no...more
9/5/2023
/ Abandonment ,
Change of Ownership ,
China ,
CNIPA ,
Foreign Trademark ,
Intellectual Property Litigation ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
International Trademark Protection ,
New Rules ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Third-Party ,
Trademark Application ,
Trademark Litigation ,
Trademark Ownership ,
Trademark Registration ,
Trademark Suspensions ,
Trademarks
Thank you for reading the August 2023 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter. This month, we conclude our series that explores ways to lose trademark rights with an examination of naked licensing, discuss a...more
9/1/2023
/ Abandonment ,
Change of Ownership ,
China ,
CNIPA ,
Domicile ,
Foreign Trademark ,
Intellectual Property Litigation ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
International Trademark Protection ,
Lanham Act ,
License Agreements ,
New Guidance ,
New Rules ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Third-Party ,
Trademark Application ,
Trademark Examination ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademark Licenses ,
Trademark Litigation ,
Trademark Ownership ,
Trademark Registration ,
Trademark Suspensions ,
Trademark Trial and Appeal Board ,
Trademarks ,
USPTO ,
WIPO
Continuing with news involving the color red, on December 23, 2022, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) issued a preliminary ruling finding that Amazon may be subject to liability for trademark infringement...more
12/30/2022
/ Advertising ,
Amazon ,
Amazon Marketplace ,
Christian Louboutin ,
Counterfeiting ,
Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ,
EU ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Online Marketplace ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademarks
Earlier this month, the Pantone Color Institute announced its Color of the Year for 2023, Pantone No. 18-1750 "Viva Magenta" (think a brighter, more berry version of red velvet cake).
In selecting the color representing...more
Thank you for reading the December 2022 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter. This month, we discuss Pantone's 2023 Color of the Year and a preliminary ruling in Europe regarding an online marketplace's...more
12/29/2022
/ Advertising ,
Amazon ,
Amazon Marketplace ,
Brand ,
Christian Louboutin ,
Color Marks ,
Counterfeiting ,
Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ,
EU ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Online Marketplace ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademark Registration ,
Trademarks
Last month, the Pantone Color Institute extended its influence on consumer tastes and designs by naming “Very Peri” as its Color of the Year for 2022. Rather than selecting a color from its existing and extensive palette, the...more
Happy New Year! We’re excited to share the January 2022 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter in a newly updated format. This month’s articles discuss the Pantone Color Institute's 2022 Color of the Year –...more
1/28/2022
/ Brand ,
Color Marks ,
Dilution ,
Dispensaries ,
Intellectual Property Litigation ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Spotify ,
Trade Dress ,
Trademark Registration ,
Trademark Trial and Appeal Board ,
Trademarks
If you recently filed a trademark application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, you may have noticed that the average time to first action (initial examination) is about six months from the application’s filing date...more
The August 2021 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter discusses Monster Energy's history of trademark disputes in the context of enhancing brand strength, tips for shortening the pendency of trademark filings...more
8/30/2021
/ Brand ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Domain Name Registration ,
Domain Names ,
gTLD ,
ICANN ,
Intellectual Property Litigation ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Intent-to-Use ,
Monster Energy Drinks ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patents ,
Sunrise Periods ,
Trade Dress ,
Trademark Application ,
Trademark Cancellation ,
Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademark Litigation ,
Trademark Modernization Act (TMA) ,
Trademark Opposition Proceedings ,
Trademark Registration ,
Trademark Trial and Appeal Board ,
Trademarks ,
USPTO
For over 20 years, Pantone’s Color of the Year has influenced consumer tastes and product design in industries where aesthetics matter. Last month, the Pantone Color Institute continued its tradition by naming not one, but...more
[co-author: Joseph Diorio, Law Clerk]
The January 2021 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter discusses: a recent non-precedential TTAB decision on background designs; the Trademark Modernization Act;...more
1/29/2021
/ Acquired Distinctiveness ,
Cannabidiol (CBD) oil ,
Color Marks ,
Domain Names ,
gTLD ,
ICANN ,
Lanham Act ,
Sunrise Periods ,
Trademark Application ,
Trademark Modernization Act (TMA) ,
Trademark Registration ,
Trademark Trial and Appeal Board ,
Trademarks ,
USPTO ,
Utility Patents
Earlier this month, the Federal Circuit issued a precedential ruling on the question of whether a color mark for product packaging can ever be inherently distinctive, holding that the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB)...more
5/6/2020
/ Appeals ,
Color Marks ,
Corporate Branding ,
Inherently Distinctive ,
Precedential Opinion ,
Product Packaging ,
Reversal ,
Trademark Litigation ,
Trademark Registration ,
Trademark Trial and Appeal Board ,
Trademarks
The April 2020 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter discusses a precedential Federal Circuit ruling about color marks for product packaging, takeaways from a recent Supreme Court decision regarding when an...more
5/5/2020
/ Burden of Proof ,
Color Marks ,
Damages ,
Dilution ,
Domain Names ,
gTLD ,
Lanham Act ,
Lost Profits ,
Romag Fasteners v Fossil ,
SCOTUS ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademark Trial and Appeal Board ,
Trademarks ,
Willful Infringement
Earlier this month, Pantone announced that its color for year 2020 is PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue. Pantone describes Classic Blue as a timeless hue, one that is evocative of the sky at dusk, bringing “a sense of peace and...more
The December 2019 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter discusses Pantone's color of 2020, a recent precedential decision about descriptive word marks in patent applications, and the new gTLD sunrise period....more
On November 25, Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH), the world’s biggest luxury goods group and home to 75 high-end brands, announced that it will buy Tiffany & Co. for $16.2 billion. Tiffany, the American jeweler established...more
The November 2019 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter discusses a recent Federal Circuit design patent decision, the USDA's new hemp rules, and Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton's acquisition of Tiffany & Co. We...more
Many trademark disputes are resolved by coexistence agreement – a contract whereby two trademark owners agree to use similar trademarks, but with certain limitations in place to avoid a likelihood of confusion in the...more
7/1/2019
/ Best Practices ,
Coexistence Agreements ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Dispute Resolution ,
Domain Names ,
Takedown Notices ,
Trade Names ,
Trademark Clearinghouse ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademark Registration ,
Trademarks
The June 2019 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter addresses the implications of blockchain-based names, and discusses negotiation tips for junior users entering into coexistence agreements. It also features...more
The beginning of 2019 brought some notable amendments to Korea’s intellectual property rights guidelines. On the trademark side, effective January 1, 2019, Korea’s Trademark Examination Guidelines were amended to include...more
2/5/2019
/ Amended Rules ,
Bad Actors ,
Customs ,
Design Patent ,
Exports ,
Franchises ,
Imports ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Korea ,
Patent Infringement ,
Trademark Application ,
Trademark Examination ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademark Ownership ,
Trademark Renewal Applications
Last month, the Pantone Color Institute announced that the color of the year for 2019 is PANTONE® 16-1546 Living Coral.
Brand owners have long understood the psychology of color in creating their brand identity. The right...more
The January 2019 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter discusses Pantone Color Institute's 2019 color of the year, pointers on protecting logos through copyright registration, Korea's notable amendments to...more
1/31/2019
/ Color Marks ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Registration ,
Corporate Branding ,
Domain Names ,
gTLD ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Korea ,
Logos ,
Sunrise Periods ,
Trademarks
Babbel.com has estimated that of the world’s approximately 7.5 billion inhabitants, 1.5 billion speak English, about 20% of the earth’s population. English is by far the most commonly-studied foreign language, and even in...more
The October 2018 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter discusses how the USPTO determines similarity to prior-filed marks, the considerations of protecting a mark in a foreign language, and the new gTLD...more
As the fourth of July holiday and midterm elections approach, you may be seeing more of the American flag, and other variations on the red, white, and blue, in your day-to-day activities. As a visual cue of patriotism, it may...more