“We have a verdict!” The familiar cry from the court officer echoes through the empty hallways of the Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn as I sit alone trying to focus on accumulated emails. Scrambling to my feet, I...more
What do your potential jurors think about the necessity to follow the law at all times? While it won’t apply in all cases, it will apply to many. Recent protests against police brutality across the country have led to scores...more
Jurors are factfinders. In many deliberation rooms, however, jurors must begin their discussions without ready access to the exhibits admitted during trial. If a jury requests particular exhibits or evidence, then a trial...more
On November 13, 2019 the Federal Circuit issued an opinion in Columbia Sportswear North America, Inc. v. Seirus Innovative Accessories, Inc. (2018-1329, -1331, -1728). The case involved appeals from both Columbia and Seirus...more
Here’s the situation. A large number of strangers are gathered in a formal courtroom — a hushed atmosphere, dark-wood paneling, flags for the state and the U.S., a raised bench with a stern-looking judge. Nothing about that...more
“Just because you came up with something doesn’t mean somebody else can’t come up with it, too. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.” Juror 12 makes his case: It isn’t fair to protect the Plaintiff’s claimed intellectual...more
When your trial-bound case faces complexity, possible juror bias, or potential juror hardships — which is to say, when you have a trial-bound case — you could benefit from a supplemental juror questionnaire, particularly when...more
In a 9-0 decision authored by Justice Sotomayor, the Supreme Court held on January 21, 2015 that trademark tacking is a question of fact, which should be decided by a jury. The case, Hana Financial, Inc. v. Hana Bank, sought...more
Many commentators have weighed-in on the Supreme Court's recent Hana Financial decision, which involved two competing HANA-formative marks for financial services, including one that had been modified over the years to couple...more
The Supreme Court of the United States, in a unanimous decision stated that “because the tacking inquiry operates from the perspective of the ordinary purchaser or consumer, we hold that a jury should make this...more
On January 20, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision written by Justice Sonya Sotomayor, issued its first trademark ruling in more than a decade. The Court held that “trademark tacking” is a factual issue...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
In a unanimous ruling, the Supreme Court upheld the Ninth Circuit Hana Financial v. Hana Bank and ruled that the question of “tacking” — whether a party’s prior version of its trademark is so closely similar to the current...more
Sheppard Mullin’s intellectual property group prevailed before the United States Supreme Court in the trademark matter entitled Hana Financial v. Hana Bank. 574 U.S. ___ (2015). Justice Sotomayor, writing for a unanimous...more
On January 21, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court in Hana Financial, Inc. v. Hana Bank, held that whether two trademarks are "legal equivalents" and thus may be "tacked" together for purposes of determining priority is a question...more
DISTRICT COURT CASES - Akin Gump Wins Section 101 Motion to Dismiss, Invalidating 887 Patent Claims - Following Supreme Court precedent set forth in Alice Corp. Pty. Ltd. v. CLS Bank International, Judge Sleet...more
The Supreme Court issued its first substantive trademark decision of the current term yesterday in Hana Financial, Inc. v. Hana Bank. The district court had charged the jury with determining whether Hana Bank’s original mark,...more
On January 21, 2015, the United States Supreme Court in Hana Financial, Inc. v. Hana Bank, case number 13-1211, unanimously held that in cases (1) that go to a jury and (2) whose facts do not warrant either summary judgment...more
On January 21, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a unanimous decision in Hana Financial, Inc. vs. Hana Bank, et. al., pertaining to a substantive trademark matter, namely, whether a judge or jury should...more
“Trademark tacking” is an issue of fact that must be decided by a jury, the U.S. Supreme Court has unanimously ruled in Hana Financial, Inc. v. Hana Bank, et al. “Trademark tacking” is the doctrine by which a trademark...more
In its first substantive trademark ruling in more than a decade, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously held on January 21, in Hana Financial, Inc. v. Hana Bank et al., No. 13-1211, that tacking – which is whether two trademarks...more
In a recent case, Hana Financial Inc. v. Hana Bank et al., the Supreme Court of the United States was presented with the question of whether a judge or a jury should determine if tacking was available in a particular...more
In the first substantial trademark case in over a decade, the Supreme Court unanimously decided that a jury can apply the tacking doctrine and decide whether two trademarks, used by a single party, convey the same commercial...more
The tacking doctrine allows trademark owners to make slight modifications to their marks over time without an attendant loss of rights. Specifically, owners can claim priority in a mark based on the first use date of a...more
Yesterday, the Supreme Court issued its opinion in Hana Financial, Inc. v. Hana Bank, No. 13-1211. The issue presented was whether the judge or the jury should determine whether two trademarks may be “tacked” for purposes of...more