The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday, March 22, 2017, issued their opinion on Star Athletica v. Varsity Brands. The Court affirmed the 6th Circuit, holding that the lines, chevrons, and colorful shapes of Varsity’s...more
3/31/2017
/ Cheerleaders ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyrightable Subject Matter ,
Fashion Design ,
Fashion Industry ,
Graphic Designs ,
SCOTUS ,
Section 101 ,
Separability ,
Sports Apparel ,
Star Athletica v Varsity Brands ,
The Copyright Act ,
Uniforms ,
Utilitarian Function
The U.S. Supreme Court issued their opinion on Star Athletica v. Varsity Brands on Wednesday, March 22. Should fashion designers rejoice or be fearful? That depends. Designers who repeatedly have original fashion designs...more
3/30/2017
/ Cheerleaders ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyrightable Subject Matter ,
Fashion Design ,
Fashion Industry ,
Graphic Designs ,
SCOTUS ,
Section 101 ,
Separability ,
Sports Apparel ,
Star Athletica v Varsity Brands ,
The Copyright Act ,
Uniforms ,
Utilitarian Function
Airwair, the owner of the Dr. Martens brand, recently launched a series of lawsuits in the Northern District of California to enforce the trade dress of its “iconic boots and shoes.” One lawsuit was filed in October against...more
3/27/2017
/ Consent Order ,
Design Patent ,
Dilution ,
False Designation of Origin ,
Fashion Design ,
Fashion Industry ,
Inherently Distinctive ,
International Trade Commission (ITC) ,
Lanham Act ,
Permanent Injunctions ,
Secondary Meaning ,
Service Marks ,
Trade Dress ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademarks ,
Unfair Competition
Much like the world of Underland created in Lewis Carroll’s book Alice Through the Looking Glass, the blurring between copyright and trademark rights can create a topsy-turvy universe....more
Under U.S. trademark law, any person (including a celebrity) can obtain a trademark registration for their name if they can establish that the public recognizes the name as a source identifier for certain products or...more
Rapid Growth of Influencer Marketing -
With more consumers cutting the cord to their TVs and paying for premium subscriptions or ad blockers to avoid advertising, social media has become an important medium through which...more
3/6/2017
/ Advertising ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Advertising ,
Fashion Branding ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC Endorsement Guidelines ,
Marketing ,
Native Advertising ,
Promotional Items ,
Social Media ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
It is well known among patent attorneys that design patents are an under-utilized form of protection in the fashion and beauty industry...
..Design patents should always be considered for timeless and iconic pieces or...more
On January 5, 2017, Skechers U.S.A., Inc. filed a petition with the Patent Trial and Appeal Board to institute an Inter Partes Review (IPR2017-00607) (“current IPR petition”) of two design patents owned by Nike, Inc.:...more
On Wednesday, November 9, 2016 the estate of Marilyn Monroe filed a complaint in the Southern District of New York against Fashion Central. The Monroe Estate claims that Fashion Central infringes its intellectual property...more
11/17/2016
/ Celebrities ,
Dilution ,
Fashion Design ,
Lanham Act ,
Marilyn Monroe ,
Misappropriation ,
Popular ,
Right of Publicity ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademarks ,
Unfair Competition ,
Unjust Enrichment
The closely watched case of Star Athletica v. Varsity Brands was argued in front of the the Supreme Court on Monday, offering anxious fashion designers a glimpse into how the Justices may rule. ...more
11/5/2016
/ Cheerleaders ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Fashion Design ,
Fashion Industry ,
Functional Equivalent ,
SCOTUS ,
Separability ,
Sports Apparel ,
Star Athletica v Varsity Brands ,
The Copyright Act