News & Analysis as of

Likelihood of Confusion Intellectual Property Protection

McDermott Will & Emery

Opposers Beware: Your Own Mark May Not Be Protectable

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The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the Trademark Trial & Appeal Board’s dismissal of an opposition to the registration of the marks IVOTERS and IVOTERS.COM while also noting that the US Patent &...more

Troutman Pepper Locke

Trade Dress Disputes Continue To Be a Bitter Pill in Pharma

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A recent federal court decision highlights the delicate balance between U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance and trade dress protections for drugs administered in a tablet or capsule form. Last month, a district...more

McDermott Will & Emery

Zone of Natural Expansion Is a Shield, Not a Sword

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The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld a Trademark Trial & Appeal Board decision to partially cancel trademarks, ruling that an opposition challenger could not use the zone of natural expansion doctrine to...more

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Compassion in Registration: A Lesson in Filing Narrow Trademark Applications

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Identical trademarks can coexist, as the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board once again emphasized when it overturned the refusal of a COMPASSION IN ACTION mark. ...more

McDermott Will & Emery

No Bull: Historically Generic Term Can Become Non-Generic

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The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed Trademark Trial & Appeal Board rulings, finding that a previously generic term was not generic at the time registration was sought because at that time the mark, as...more

Fenwick & West LLP

Dupe or Deception? What e.l.f.’s Win Over Benefit Means for Beauty Brands

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The battle over beauty “dupes” just got more interesting. In a major win for e.l.f. Cosmetics, a California federal judge ruled that its Lash ’N Roll mascara doesn’t infringe the trademarks and trade dress of Benefit...more

Bond Schoeneck & King PLLC

Trade Dress Registration – Practical Considerations for Product Manufacturers

Summary Trade dress is a powerful intellectual property (IP) tool that can be used to protect the distinctive non-functional “look and feel" of a product’s design, shape and/or 3D configuration.[1] Product manufacturers and...more

International Lawyers Network

Katy v Katie: The Importance of Reputation and Early Brand Protection

Pop star Katy Perry has successfully appealed a Federal Court ruling over the use of an Australian designer’s trade mark registration for the words KATIE PERRY. The recent decision by the Full Court of the Federal Court...more

McDermott Will & Emery

Dog Toy Maker in the Doghouse (Again) for Tarnishing Jack Daniel’s Marks

Addressing this case for the third time, the US District Court for the District of Arizona found on remand that Jack Daniel’s was entitled to a permanent injunction after finding that VIP Products’ “Bad Spaniels” dog toy...more

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Repping Your School and How the Penn State Decision Ties In

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School merch is big business. Students want sweats, mugs and the like to show they belong at the school. Alums want merch to show they went to the school. Other purchasers want merch as an aspirational statement, or to...more

Fish & Richardson

USPTO Kicks “Hijacker” of Foreign Trademark Out the Door

Fish & Richardson on

When, if ever, is it okay to use a trademark in U.S. commerce that is identical to another company’s mark used outside the U.S.? Courts have struggled with this issue for years, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office...more

Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

The Nittany Lions Are the Champs … Trademark Champs - The Katten Kattwalk/Kattison Avenue | Issue 4

Many eyes were on the Nittany Lions this past year as sports pundits speculated The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) would make it to the College Football National Championship. But those with an interest in...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

UGG(H), My Business Needs to Change its Name –A Cautionary Tale for International Trademark Strategy

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A longstanding Australian brand, UGG Since 1974, is fighting for the right to use its UGG trademark for footwear in the United States. Deckers Outdoor Corporation, a US-based shoe company, filed a lawsuit against the...more

Irwin IP LLP

Cognac Flexing Fame in Hip-hop

Irwin IP LLP on

Bureau Nat'l Interprofessionnel du Cognac v. Cologne & Cognac Ent., 110 F.4th 1356 (Fed. Cir. 2024) - In trademark disputes, the likelihood of confusion analysis—guided by the DuPont factors—is a balancing test with the...more

Troutman Pepper Locke

Trademark Case Shows Infringement Is Often in the Eye of the Beholder — Federal Court Rules in Favor of Beauty Company’s “Dupe”...

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Conventional notions of trademark law suggest that emulating a popular product or service carries certain legal risks. However, a recent federal ruling highlights the complexities of trademark infringement cases involving...more

Sunstein LLP

Wavy Baby Waves Goodbye to its Attempt at Humor

Sunstein LLP on

In August, Vans, a globally-known footwear and apparel company, and MSCHF, a Brooklyn-based art collective, settled their trademark and trade dress dispute, entering an agreement that permanently enjoins and restrains MSCHF...more

K&L Gates LLP

You’re Gonna Hear Me Roar: Katy Perry Wins Appeal Against Local Australian Fashion Designer

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In the long-running trade mark dispute between international popstar Katy Perry and Australian fashion designer Katie Taylor, the Full Federal Court has overturned the first instance decision of Taylor v Killer Queen, LLC (No...more

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

Clandestine Use of Competitor’s Trademark and ‘Initial Interest Confusion’ Infringement

Businesses use several advertising tactics. Most are clearly presented to potential consumers in traditional ways such as text on a web page, posters, mailings, brochures, etc. Alternatively, some tactics to increase exposure...more

McDermott Will & Emery

Battle of the Bay: It’s Oakland Airport, Not San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport

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The US District Court for the Northern District of California granted the city and county of San Francisco a preliminary injunction enjoining the Port of Oakland from using the name or trademark “San Francisco Bay Oakland...more

McDermott Will & Emery

Ghostly Misstep: No Confusion Means No Preliminary Injunction

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In a trademark case involving an incontestable registration, the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit affirmed a district court ruling denying the registrant a preliminary injunction (PI) for failure to establish...more

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.

Penn State Wins On and Off the Field

Pennsylvania State University has secured wins on the field and in court this football season with a 10-1 football record (and likely a College Football Playoff berth), and a jury verdict in its favor in a lawsuit against...more

Ladas & Parry LLP

TTAB favours Airbnb in opposition against competitor TREEBNB mark

Ladas & Parry LLP on

In Airbnb Inc v Seth Bolt and Victoria Bolt, the Trademark Trial and Appeals Board (TTAB) ruled in favour of opposer Airbnb Inc., against applicants Seth and Victoria Bolt. The board’s decision was influenced by, among other...more

Womble Bond Dickinson

Jury Sides with Penn State in Vintage Trademark Case

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A jury determined Tuesday, November 20, that Vintage Brands willfully violated Penn State University's trademarks by selling merchandise featuring vintage Penn State logos. The jury also rejected Vintage Brands’ affirmative...more

Venable LLP

Is Vintage Brand's Use of Penn State-Related Images Likely to Confuse Consumers as to Their Source? That Is the Central Question...

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This week, a Pennsylvania jury is hearing argument in a trial that will decide The Pennsylvania State University's trademark infringement claims against Vintage Brand, LLC, its affiliated company, and its owner. According to...more

A&O Shearman

Crowd control caution: how a crowded market may affect your trade mark protection

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The Court of Appeal has confirmed that the existence of a “crowded market” and any coexistence terms entered into by parties may be relevant factors in assessing likelihood of confusion. While the Lifestyle Equities v Royal...more

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