IPNews® – Lucasfilm, the creator of the Star Wars franchise, has filed a trademark opposition against a small brewery in Syracuse, N.Y.
Empire Brewing Co. wants to trademark a German lager it calls “Empire Strikes Bock,” which has grown in popularity over the last seven years. But Lucasfilm is objecting to the trademark saying that consumers are likely to confuse it with the Star Wars franchise. To continue reading, click: Lucasfilm Opposes “Empire Strikes Bock” Beer Trademark
IPNews® – A judge has ruled that a copyright infringement case regarding Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke’s song, “Blurred Lines,” should go to trial.
Music legend Marvin Gaye’s family has alleged that “Blurred Lines” is a copyright infringement of the 1977 Gaye hit “Got to Give It Up.” The case is scheduled to go to trial Feb. 10. To continue reading, click: Judge Rules “Blurred Lines” Bears Copyright Similarities to Marvin Gaye’s Song
IPNews® – Sonos, a manufacturer of wireless home music systems, has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Denon alleging that its newest lines of speakers bear striking similarities to Sonos products.
In its complaint, Sonos says Denon has copied its speaker designs and even its marketing of the wireless speakers. Sonos officials say they are not interesting in licensing fees, but just an effort on Denon’s part to modify its products so there is no patent infringement. To continue reading, click: Denon Faces Lawsuit over Allegation of Speaker Patent Infringement
IPNews® – Shoe manufacturer Converse has filed trademark lawsuits against several major retailers and manufacturers alleging that they infringed on its trademarked Chuck Taylor design.
Converse, which is owned by Nike, has filed 22 different lawsuits against retail giants such as Wal-Mart and Kmart and manufacturers such as Skechers. The company alleges that the retailers and manufacturers are imitating the Chuck Taylor All Star design that has made the shoes popular with generations of Americans. To continue reading, click: Converse Sues Retailers and Manufacturers to Protect its All Star Trademark Designs
IPNews® – A company that markets individual retirement accounts is suing the U.S. Treasury Department alleging trademark infringement.
In January, President Obama announced a special government program to help individuals save up for retirement with special Roth IRAs after which the U.S. Treasury sought to trademark “MyRA. In response, My Retirement Account Services, LLC filed the trademark infringement action and sought an injunction against the Treasury stating that is has had a registered trademark since 2011 for “GetMyRA.com.” To continue reading, click: Company Files Action Against Obama’s MyRA Alleging Trademark Infringement
IPNews® – Apple has filed a patent application for a new kind of remote control with a graphic user interface, which may change the way we use remotes.
The updated remote control feature is also anticipated to generate more interest for the Apple TV. The new device, according to the patent application, will get rid of the physical remote and utilize mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets instead. To continue reading, click: Apple Seeks Patent for New Kind of Digital Remote Control
IPNews® – A federal judge in New York has ruled that Grooveshark, a free online music service, is liable for copyright infringement because it uploaded numerous songs without proper permission.
Grooveshark had argued that its actions were protected under the “safe harbor” provision of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. But the judge disagreed and is expected to slap severe penalties on the company whose very existence is now in jeopardy. To continue reading, click: Judge Rules Grooveshark Employees Committed Copyright Infringement
IPNews® – Twitpic, the service that helped Twitter users share images, has announced that it will be acquired by a buyer following the threat of a shutdown earlier this month.
Twitpic’s founder Noah Everett said he would rather quit than launch an unwinnable trademark battle against Twitter which had opposed his trademark application for Twitpic. Twitter not only objected to Twitpic’s trademark application filing, but also threatened to cut off the image-hosting site’s access to its application programming interface (API). To continue reading, click: Twitpic Resurrected Following Twitter Trademark Dispute
IPNews® – The Hershey Company is waging a trademark war against candy importer LBB Imports LLC accusing it of infringing its trademarks for famous brand names including Reese’s and Kit Kat.
Hershey has argued that LBB is violating both its trademarks and trade dress. The candy maker is asking the court to block the infringement, order LBB to destroy the products involved and pay for corrective advertising to fix the harm done to Hershey. To continue reading, click: Hershey Files Trademark Lawsuit against Candy Importer
IPNews® – Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin are butting heads over a patent application from Blue Origin that claims rights to a procedure for landing booster rockets at sea.
SpaceX has filed its objections stating that the technology and science outlined in the patent are nothing new and that it does not warrant a patent. If the patent is approved, SpaceX may not be able use the water-landing approach described in the patent. To continue reading, click: Tesla and Amazon Founders Clash Over Space Flight Patent