ALL POSTS
Enter THE VOID:
At the apex of current intellectual property crossroads exists The Vision of Infinite Dimensions – or, THE VOID™. Self-characterized as a world leader “in a new form of immersive entertainment,”[1] but critically-acclaimed enough to back it up,[2] THE VOID takes...
Trademark Infringement Tuesday
“Taco Tuesday,” the beloved weekly holiday, is apparently not supposed to be as widely celebrated as it currently is. In 49 states, the phrase “Taco Tuesday” is actually a trademark owned by a Wyoming-based taco chain, Taco John’s.[1] According to “Taco John’s lore,”...
“Timeless” Copyright Infringement Suit Against Sony Likely to Proceed to Trial
It’s no secret that many of our favorite and most popular TV shows, from “Ugly Betty” to “Jane the Virgin” were inspired by, and in some cases directly adopted from, popular Spanish language TV shows.[1] In most cases, such adaptations result form extensive,...
A Guitar by Any Other Name
On March 7, 2017, attorneys for the guitar manufacturer Gibson began opening arguments against British instrument manufacturer John Hornby Skewes, Co. (JHS) alleging that JHS intentionally infringed on the design of four popular Gibson guitar shapes.[1] Per the...
China’s Top Court Rules Michael Jordan Has Right To His Own Name: A Win For International Companies
Hall-of-Famer, Michael Jordan is known by most in the United States, but now he is making headlines in the highest populated country in the world. [1] Jordan sought rights to his name in Chinese characters in a trademark case that made its way to China’s highest...
A Fashion Design Examiner?
Protection for fashion design has been consistently debated in the legal arena.[1] For someone who loves fashion, this was actually an exciting discovery: case law about Louboutins![2] It doesn’t beat shopping, but hey, it’s a close fifth. Yes, it’s not really close...
Will the Greedy Grinch Find His Heart?: Dr. Seuss Enterprises Sends New York Play a Cease-and-Desist Letter
I grew up on Dr. Seuss stories. I watched the movie adaptations and all the various iterations on TV, and I even went to the National Theater in Washington, DC to see How the Grinch Stole Christmas during the holiday season. These stories are imbued with whimsy and...
Disparaging Names: The Supreme Court to Rule on Trademark Disparagement in Lee v. Tam
I attended the Supreme Court argument for Lee v. Tam in January 2017 and, let me tell you, it was worth standing in the cold for four hours. The Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the trademark issues at play, but when they do, it will set new precedent for trademark...
2016 Presidential Election: Race to the Whitehouse or Race to the Courthouse for Copyright infringement.
Last year’s presidential election was been one of the craziest and most publicized elections of the United States of America’s history. All of the candidates that ran had one simple message. They wanted to be president because they will be the most beneficial for the...
Ivanka Trump and Bad-Faith Chinese Trademarks: Trademark “Hijacking” and “Bad-Faith Filing”
Overseas companies are looking to “cash in” on Trump’s presidency by making the most of his daughter’s name. [1] Despite a downward trend in her company’s domestic sales, [2] Ivanka’s brand has become a hot commodity in China, where over sixty-five trademark...