IPNews® – A recent lawsuit initiated by Levi Strauss has sparked debate over the extent of trademark protection over a tag on apparel.
Levi Strauss has sued Yves Saint Laurent over the tabs on the back pockets of jeans. Levi Strauss is claiming that consumers associate the tags with its products and any similar use by another apparel maker will cause confusion among consumers. To continue reading, click: Levi Strauss Fights for Trademark on Pocket Tab
IPNews® – President Donald Trump found himself in hot water again recently related to his use of Twitter.
The president made a tweet that mimicked HBO’s Game of Thrones’ “Winter is Coming” phrase but instead stated “Sanctions are Coming”. The tweet used and image and font that brings to mind the popular HBO show. To continue reading, click: HBO Has Trademark Issue with Trump
IPNews® – What appeared to start as an April fools day joke has become reality for Tesla.
While it seemed that Elon Musk was making a joke in April about starting a new brand of Teslaquila distilled spirits, it is no longer a joke. Last week Tesla filed for the Teslaquila trademark in the United States and it seeks priority to a trademark filing in Jamaica in April. To continue reading, click: Tesla Files Teslaquila Trademark for Liquor
IPNews®- Former Jacksonville Jaguars player Dan Skuta is trying to trademark the term “Sacksonville” against the wishes of the Jaguars.
After Skuta abandoned his application in 2016, he re-applied for the trademark and then filed an opposition to the Jaguars’ application. Skuta states that he has been selling merchandise featuring the Sacksonville logo since 2015 with the full support of the team. To continue reading, click: A Former Jaguars NFL Player Claims He Owns the Trademark “Sacksonville”
IPNews® – Ohio State recently opposed the University of Oklahoma’s trademark application of a drum major image which contains the block letter “O.”
Both universities’ actively use the block “O” in relation to sporting events and on apparel. Ohio State claims that it has been using the block “O” since 1898 and the university has registered three trademarks for different versions of the “O.” To continue reading, click: Ohio State Files an Opposition to Block Oklahoma’s “O” Trademark
IPNews® – A San Francisco brewery recently released an ad featuring a new beer with a logo similar to the In-N-Out Burger logo.
The brewery also tagged the Burger company in the promotional post. In-N-Out responded with a tongue in cheek cease-and-desist letter response that gained a lot of social media attention. To continue reading, click: In-N-Out Burger Sends a Clever Trademark Cease-and-Desist Letter to a Brewery
IPNews® – Billy Goat Tavern defeated a motion to dismiss in its trademark infringement lawsuit against Billy Goat Chip Company for using the trademarked “Billy Goat” name. Billy Goat Tavern is expanding its goods and has run into problems with overlapping goods with Billy Goat Chips.
Though the chip company’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit was denied, the case is far from over. To continue reading, click: Billy Goat Chip Loses a round in Billy Goat Tavern Trademark Case
IPNews® – China has gone from being a small player in worldwide trademark filings to the second largest trademark register in the world.
China’s rate of growth is showing no signs of slowing down. It now appears that by 2020 China will overtake the U.S. to become the world’s largest trademark filer. To continue reading, click: Growth in Chinese-based Trademark Filings is Becoming a Concern
IPNews® – Walmart has recently filed a patent application which details a system that would include audio surveillance in stores.
The system is meant to improve employee performance and customer experience by recording details such as how long customers stand in line, beeps of the scanners, the rustle of bags, and even conversations. In response to privacy concerns, Walmart has stated that the system is only in the planning stages and may not become a reality. To continue reading, click: New Walmart Patent will Monitor and Record Customers and Employees
IPNews® – After two long years Gatorade has won a trademark lawsuit brought against it for the use of “Sports Fuel” in an ad campaign that Gatorade launched in 2015.
SportFuel, a small business based in Illinois, stated that Gatorade knew of the SportFuel trademark and intentionally used it in its marketing. The court determined that the SportFuel trademark lacked distinctiveness and otherwise that Gatorade’s campaign was not likely to confuse consumers. To continue reading, click: Gatorade Wins The SportFuel vs. Sports Fuel Case