As folks prepare their estate documents, they need to consider who they want to receive their assets, house(s), vehicle(s), or that Bob Ross painting they found at a garage sale 20 years ago. What many people don’t think...more
Every month, Erise’s trademark attorneys review the latest developments at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, in the courts, and across the corporate world to bring you the stories that you should know about: Fourth...more
The untimely death of rapper Takeoff, a member of the Grammy-nominated hip-hop trio Migos—also consisting of rappers Quavo and Offset—left fans, family, and the music industry in shock. Born Kirshnik Khari Ball, Takeoff’s...more
The U.S. agencies concluded 11 significant merger investigations in the first half of 2024—just one shy of the total concluded in all of 2023. Activity has picked up considerably since last year but is still below the...more
In late May, the Supreme Court of Canada (the SCC) denied an application for leave to appeal a decision of the Court of Appeal of Alberta (the ABCA), which, in turn, had denied leave to appeal of the decision of the Court of...more
Children are all too familiar with parents telling them that everything they own is actually mom and dads. And as frustrating as this is to hear as a child, a recent opinion from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s...more
Welcome to the April 2024 issue of Sterne Kessler’s MarkIt to Market® newsletter. This month, we discuss why it’s important for businesses to think critically about who they are listing as their trademark owners, how the TTAB...more
A federal appeals court recently refused to let a mortgage broker send its former employee’s disability discrimination lawsuit to arbitration, stating the company waived its right to arbitration when it actively participated...more
For years, Sports Illustrated (SI) has provided exclusive, in-depth looks into some of sports’ greatest games and players, with its voice and visuals providing great entertainment and information for sports fans around the...more
Precedential and Key Federal Circuit Opinions - 1. FRESHUB, INC. v. AMAZON.COM, INC. [OPINION] (2022-1391, 2/26/2024) (Reyna, Taranto, and Chen) - Taranto, J. The Court affirmed the District Court’s decision 1)...more
Perfecting a performance bond claim in Texas requires careful attention to legal requirements and procedural details set forth on the face of the bond and under Texas law. Perfection of a performance bond claim is often...more
Patent prosecution costs can weigh heavily on cash-strapped clients, who may still face USPTO rejections after spending significant money. Unfortunately (and often), cash-strapped clients are not responsive. And to be fair,...more
s an update to our prior client alert addressing the enactment of R.C. §4123.56(F), there has been a recent decision in State ex rel. Butler v. Indus. Comm., 10th Dist. Franklin No. 22AP-274, 2023-Ohio-3774 holding that a...more
One of the primary goals of bankruptcy law is to provide debtors with a fresh start by imposing an automatic stay and allowing for claims of reorganizing debtors to be discharged. In environmental law, a primary goal is to...more
In business, trademarks are everything. It's how consumers come to know, love and trust your brand. It's a valuable corporate asset, and many disputes can arise of name rights with the explosion of e-commerce and the...more
It is crucial for an appellant drafting an initial brief to adequately identify and describe all claims and issues the appellant intends to raise for appellate review. Apart from the obvious advantage of providing as much...more
Question: Due to a staffing shortage at my office, I have been forced to make some difficult choices. For example, I have had some patients who were seen previously only for an emergency visit. They had no regular dentist and...more
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
Trademarks help brand owners build and communicate their brand’s reputation and value with the relevant public. Once that valuable goodwill is linked between a mark and the owner’s products and services, trademark owners can...more
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
On July 18, 2023, the phrase “Taco Tuesday” was returned to the public after Taco John’s submitted a notice of abandonment for its TACO TUESDAY trademark registration before the United States Patent & Trademark Office’s...more
There are plenty of fish in the sea when it comes to trademarks: from word marks to service marks; from symbols to surnames; from product packaging to product design. When the time is right, and you feel like you have found...more
Thank you for reading the June 2023 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter. This month, we begin a three-part series that closely examines ways to lose trademark rights; share an article that examines the...more
On May 1, 2023, in Onukogu v. New Jersey State Judiciary, the Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division affirmed the trial court’s grant of summary judgement in favor of the employer, affirming the dismissal of the...more
On May 25, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court held that a Minnesota county’s retention of the excess proceeds from sale of a homeowner’s property to satisfy a tax lien violated the Takings Clause. This decision recognizes that...more