The IP Cons of Fan Conventions
Pop culture fan conventions are huge in the new millennium. “Cons,” as they are often called, have sprung up all over the country and grown into…
Food Fight: Burger Edition
Beloved burger chain In-N-Out Burger, home of not-so-secret menu items and “animal style” fries, has sued burger competitor Smashburger, claiming that Smashburger’s new “Triple Double”…
[Acapulco] Gold* Rush for California Cannabis Trademarks January 1, 2018
[Note: A previous version of this article ran on Wendel Rosen’s cannabis industry blog at http://www.calcannabislawblog.com on June 8, 2017.] In June 2017, the California…
IP Basics: The Purpose of Copyright [ © ] and Trademark [ TM ] Symbols
[This post is part 3 of a 3 part IP Basics Series] In a recent series of IP Basics: Copyrights, Trademarks and Trade Secrets, Oh My!…
Trademark Newsflash: Supreme Court Strikes Down Disparagement Clause
Since 1946, when the Lanham Act was enacted, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has denied registration of any trademark that “[c]onsists of ……
Virgin America is Dead, Long Live Virgin America’s Marks
[Note: The last paragraph of this post was revised slightly on 4/13/2017, including adding the footnote.] A lot happened in 2016. The first thing that comes…
When States of Mind Collide: USPTO Rejects MARIJUANAVILLE as Confusingly Similar to MARGARITAVILLE
Could you write a legal opinion about Jimmy Buffett, Margaritaville and Marijaunaville without displaying any trace of a sense of humor? The United States Patent and…
