FTC proposes a new rule that would ban non-competes in most situations; brings enforcement actions challenging non-competes as unfair methods of competition.
On January 5, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a...more
Employers should review their form agreements and practices to determine what modifications may be required to comply with new restrictions in Illinois, Oregon, Nevada, and Washington, D.C.
Key Points:
..Effective...more
The decision expands the availability of trademark protection for domain names and limits the number of terms deemed unprotectable because they are generic.
Key Points:
..The addition of the .com top-level domain to an...more
7/29/2020
/ Acquired Distinctiveness ,
Appeals ,
Booking.com ,
Domain Name Registration ,
Domain Names ,
Generic Marks ,
Lanham Act ,
SCOTUS ,
Trademark Registration ,
Trademarks ,
United States Patent and Trademark Office v Booking.com BV ,
USPTO
Decision clarifies prior conflicting authority and holds that willfulness is not a prerequisite to recovering an infringer’s profits.
Key Points:
..A finding of willfulness is not a prerequisite to a disgorgement of...more
5/6/2020
/ § 1125(a) ,
§ 1125(c) ,
Appeals ,
Burden of Proof ,
Charge-Filing Preconditions ,
Compensatory Awards ,
Dilution ,
Lanham Act ,
Lost Profits ,
Remand ,
Remedies ,
Romag Fasteners v Fossil ,
SCOTUS ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademark Litigation ,
Trademarks ,
Vacated ,
Willful Infringement
With President Obama’s signature expected, DTSA will allow for new federal civil suits, ex parte seizures, and whistleblower protections.
After unanimously passing the Senate earlier this month, the Defend Trade...more
4/28/2016
/ Asset Seizure ,
Confidential Information ,
Confidentiality Agreements ,
Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA) ,
Employment Contract ,
Ex Parte ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Misappropriation ,
Pending Legislation ,
Popular ,
Private Right of Action ,
Remedies ,
Trade Secrets ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies
Unanimous Senate approval of the federal trade secrets bill creates momentum for a new cause of action.
After nearly a year-long delay, the Senate on April 4, 2016, unanimously passed the Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA),...more
The United States Supreme Court settles circuit split, ruling that juries determine if a party’s revisions to a trademark impart the same commercial impression to consumers.
Trademark owners often update their marks...more
The US Supreme Court allows private parties to bring Lanham Act claims challenging product labels that otherwise satisfy the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
In a battle of the beverages, the Supreme Court recently...more
7/1/2014
/ Advertising ,
Coca Cola ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Food Labeling ,
Lanham Act ,
NLEA ,
POM Wonderful ,
POM Wonderful v Coca Cola ,
SCOTUS