If you’re a fan of online or mobile gaming, then you’re probably very familiar with Zynga. Zynga has provided people all over the globe with more ways to waste time than probably any other software company in recent memory. In fact, many of you have probably spent what amounts to months of your life playing [...]
St. Louis Cardinals – 11 Championships. 30 Trademark Registrations.
In honor of the St Louis Cardinals’ unbelievable late season comeback and amazing Word Series victory, I am dedicating this week’s post to looking at the early history of the Cardinals’ trademarks and federal trademark registrations. You know, especially since neither Fox nor ESPN is going to bring you this type of hard-hitting and eye-opening [...]
Does Owning a Federal Trademark Registration Mean I Can’t Be Sued For Trademark Infringement?
Many people assume that once they have a federal trademark registration, they can never be sued for trademark infringement. Unfortunately, trademark law doesn’t quite work that way. Even having a trademark registration does not guarantee that you have the right to use your trademark under all circumstances.
Is Chrysler’s IMPORTED FROM DETROIT Trademark Primarily Geographically Descriptive? One Intellectual Property Thief Thinks So.
If you watched the Super Bowl last February, you may remember the gritty two-minute commercial produced by the Chrysler automobile company featuring rap superstar Eminem driving a brand new Chrysler 200 through the streets of Detroit. With Eminem’s huge hit “Lose Yourself” playing in the background, the narrator basically talks about how the Motor City [...]
Is APP STORE Generic? The Trademark Battle Between Microsoft and Apple Continues…
This week’s blog post presents a good illustration of (1) the inconsistency of the Trademark Office, and (2) why I continue to believe that Apple’s APP STORE “trademark” is as generic as the day is long. If you’ve been diligent about following the world’s greatest trademark blog, you may remember that I wrote an article [...]
St. Louis Trademark Dispute: Are MANGIA ITALIANO and MANGIA MOBILE Confusingly Similar Trademarks?
I have to thank my girlfriend Karen for bringing this tasty St. Louis trademark dispute to my attention earlier this week. The plaintiff in the case is a restaurant located in the Tower Grove neighborhood of St. Louis by the name of Mangia Italiano. According to various local news reports (see here and here), Mangia [...]
Trademark Registration Happenings: Is Red Robin Becoming a Trademark Bully?
This week’s post combines my two of my favorite things in life: burgers and trademarks. Red Robin is a casual family-friendly dining chain known primarily for its “gourmet” burgers and bottomless steak fries. It also offers a wide variety of salads, chicken sandwiches, soups, wraps, and appetizers. I’ve eaten at Red Robin on numerous occasions [...]
Trademark Registration Tip: What is a Request for Reconsideration?
As I have written about previously, it is very common to receive a communication from the Trademark Office within 3-4 months after submitting your trademark application. This communication is referred to as an “office action,” and it is basically a document that informs you of the status of your application. The office action will raise [...]
Ridiculous Trademark Opposition of the Week – General Mills v. Greenliant
This week’s ridiculous trademark opposition deserves a giant “Ho! Ho! Ho!” for its absolute stupidity. If you’ve ever eaten canned or frozen vegetable in your lifetime (perhaps under duress), you are undoubtedly familiar with the products sold by General Mills under the GREEN GIANT trademark. Since at least as early as 1925, General Mills has [...]
What is a Trademark License?
A trademark license is basically an agreement between a trademark owner (the “licensor”) and an individual or business entity (“the “licensee”) whereby the licensor grants the licensee permission to use the licensor’s trademark in connection with specific products or services. Although a trademark license is not required to be in writing to be legally enforceable, [...]
