News & Analysis as of

Trademark Application

Quarles & Brady LLP

Taylor Swift’s Trademark Filings for Her Voice and Image May Help Combat AI Misuse

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Taylor Swift’s team recently filed new trademark applications for two sound marks for Taylor’s voice, and one design mark for a glittering image from the Eras Tour: This move has captured the attention of trademark...more

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

Rescheduling and Intellectual Property: What Medical Marijuana Operators Can (and Can’t) Do at the USPTO Now

When the acting attorney general moved state-licensed medical marijuana and FDA-approved marijuana-containing products from Schedule I to Schedule III, the headlines focused on banking, taxation, and what the change might...more

Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis LLP

Trademark Law: A Practical Guide to the Basics

A company’s brand is one of its most valuable assets – and the name, logo, or slogan associated with that business is often what customers most remember, and what drives them to choose one company over another. These...more

Jones Day

Japan Patent Office Publishes Its Yearly Status Report for 2026

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On March 23, the Japan Patent Office ("JPO") published its JPO Status Report 2026 ("2026 Report"). The yearly status reports provide comprehensive statistical data and policy updates in both English and Japanese regarding...more

Akerman LLP

USPTO Launches AI-Powered Image Search for Trademarks

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In April 2026, the USPTO introduced a new beta feature in its trademark search system: an AI-driven image search tool that allows users to upload an image and retrieve visually similar marks from the federal trademark...more

Foley & Lardner LLP

Sizing Up The 3-Way Battle For 'Iceman' IP Rights

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Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams filed four trademark applications for the mark “Iceman” on March 16, seeking to protect the nickname he earned during a breakout NFL season. Originally published in Law360 - April...more

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

Short Stack, Tall Problem: Branding Guides and Functionality at the TTAB

In its first precedential decision of 2026, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board served up a cautionary tale in In re Misty Everson and Christine Maynard, Serial No. 97104306 (TTAB Mar. 31, 2026), involving three-dimensional...more

Kaufman & Canoles

When Copyright Falls Short: Why Celebrities Are Turning to Trademark Law to Fight AI

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Taylor Swift has filed new trademark applications for two voice clips and one image that may be specifically designed to provide additional protection from artificial intelligence impersonation....more

Fish & Richardson

Dot or Not: Federal Circuit Agrees a Dot Can Prevent Confusion

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It may be rare when a mere dot is considered to be enough to distinguish two trademarks used for similar goods. But that was the ruling of the Federal Circuit in Fuente Marketing, Ltd. v. Vaporous Technologies, LLC, when...more

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

TTAB Reminds Businesses That Trade Name Use Is Not Trademark Use, in Maple Leaf Cheesemakers Decision

The distinction between a company name (“trade name”) and a trademark is a foundational concept in trademark law – but one that still manages to catch unknowing brand owners by surprise,...more

Holland & Knight LLP

Podcast - De genérica a icónica: El glow up de una marca

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Para registrar una marca, es necesario que esta cumpla con determinados requisitos, entre ellos, que sea lo suficientemente distintiva. Sin embargo, como siempre, existen excepciones. En este episodio de "A Lo Legal En Par...more

Foster Swift Collins & Smith

Forever in Greyscale: Why Black and White Still Rules Design Trademarks

Some of you may remember when your favorite classic film was first released in color: re-edited, remastered, and modernized for our modern 4K and OLED TVs. Or many of you may not be old enough to have ever watched a movie or...more

Hogan Lovells

Vietnam accelerates IP process: Pros and cons of the new timelines for IP owners

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From 1 April 2026, Vietnam's amended Intellectual Property Law significantly accelerates IP examination, opposition and registration timelines, while introducing new fast‑track options for qualifying applications. Although...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

Picture this: AI enhancements to trademark search and examination

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has announced several new artificial intelligence (AI) enhancements to its trademark search system and to the Trademark Center, continuing its broader effort to modernize...more

Tarter Krinsky & Drogin LLP

Beware of Fraudulent Emails Posing as the USPTO

We have been notified about phishing emails that appear to be from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Please delete any such emails that you may receive....more

Offit Kurman

Spring Cleaning Your Trademark Portfolio: A Plain-English Guide for In-House Teams

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Most companies accumulate trademark assets gradually and unevenly. New products are launched, old brands linger, and registrations are filed opportunistically rather than strategically....more

WilmerHale

PTAB/USPTO Update - April 2026

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On March 16, the USPTO responded to a recent release of U.S. Chamber of Commerce 14th annual International IP Index report, which ranked the United States No. 1 on the index. Director Squires’ remarks, delivered on March 12...more

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

MarkIt to Market® – April 2026

Welcome to the quarterly issue of Sterne Kessler’s MarkIt to Market® newsletter, featuring recent developments in brand protection and emerging issues impacting trademark and copyright owners....more

Vondran Legal

Smarter, Faster, Cheaper: The USPTO “glow-up” and What It Means for Trademark Owners

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The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is in the middle of a significant modernization effort designed to make trademark registration faster, more accurate, and more reliable. While these changes may seem administrative...more

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

USPTO Launches AI Examination Tools – What This Means for Trademark Applicants

On March 19, 2026, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced the launch of its new AI-powered examination tool, the Trademark Classification Agentic Codification Tool (“Class ACT”), designed to streamline...more

Erise IP

What’s Trending In Trademarks // March 2026

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The end of February and beginning of March delivered a flurry of decisions that, taken together, tell one story: the rules governing brand names and creative content are being redrawn by courts—from district courts up to the...more

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

Chat, GPT, and 2(e) – The TTAB Rejects CHATGPT’s Inherent Distinctiveness Case

The CHATGPT brand has exploded into the public consciousness over the past two years, but how many people can confidently tell you what “GPT” actually stands for? (If you, like me, were previously unaware – it’s “generative...more

Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard,...

Trademark Scams: How to Spot Them and Protect Yourself

Trademark scams are on the rise, leading to confusion amongst trademark owners. In fact, in August 2025, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) took the extraordinary step of sanctioning a foreign filing firm...more

Kilpatrick

The Thirteenth Edition of the Nice Classification comes into effect

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On January 1, 2026, the 13th edition of the Nice Classification came into effect. Established by the Nice Agreement in 1957, the Nice Classification is an international system for classifying goods and services in trademark...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Champagne Wishes and Caviar Dreams – Can Two CAVIAR Marks for Jewelry Coexist?

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A Boston-based jewelry company, with a storefront steps away from Seyfarth’s Boston offices, is at the center of a trademark dispute that is all too familiar. In Lagos, Inc. v. Coastal Caviar, LLC, Case No. 2:26‑cv‑00447...more

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