Lawyer Ron Coleman on brands, the Internet & free speech
LIKELIHOOD OF CONFUSION®
As I have written so many times, what used to qualify as a “short post” back when the edgiest form of social media was blogging is now just… a tweet. And long posts? Come on,…
Free Expression
This is an important trademarks / free speech case. I got in on an edge of it!
Blogging
If you’re following this wacky case, or even if you’re just a beginner, you will find the decision below on the defendants’ motion to dismiss the complaint under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) very…
IP Overreaching
It’s always something, isn’t it. Here’s the latest shipwreck-in-the-making — you can’t call tall ships tall ships any more, matey: The age of wooden ships and iron men is long gone. We appear to be…
Keyword Advertising
First posted on March 11, 2011. Here’s a roundup of what other people are saying about the decision in Network Automation, Inc. v. Advanced System Concepts, Inc. involving keyword advertising using other folks’ trademarks (a…
Litigation
Fact is, trademark law, judges — much less justices — are not all much into you.
Trademarks and trademark law
Anton Hopen reports that GM won an important verdict in a trademark case involving a toy Hummer. The jury awarded over a million and a half dollars for the infringement of GM’s trademark on the…
Fashion Law
Everything I’ve written about here for the last five years, or just about everything, is about to get a lot worse, explains David Post: Congress is set to once again consider the Sen Leahy’s Combating…
Private Brands and Trademarks
First published February 14, 2013. I have no problem using the TTABlog for a blog launching point every week. Why would I when I can riff on a post such as this one, about an…
Forum selection clauses are the contract-drafter’s torture of choice. They often guarantee a win for the side with the power to select where suit must take place — usually not where the other side can…
Copyright Law
Yes, people do have some funny ideas of what kinds of things to protect with copyright, don’t they? A few years ago, criminal enterprise Milberg Weiss (in its pre-conviction days) tried to assert copyright…
Legal Times reports: The Supreme Court on Wednesday adopted a historic rule change that will allow lawyers to cite so-called unpublished opinions in federal courts starting next year. The new rule takes effect unless Congress…
Brand Management and Branding
BrandWeek reports that universities are having success suing companies that make fan paraphernalia that don’t actually use team trademarks but do use slogans, colors and other devices that conjure up the trademarks: The schools successfully…
Brand Management and Branding
Originally published December 9, 2009. Now a heartwarming tradition of bloggy goodness. Instapundit links to this item about the incredible shrinking Charlie Brown specials — warmly-remembered favorite scenes from the annual Peanut broadcasts being incrementally…
Blogging
No, it’s not an estate planning offer, but close. Robert Ambrogi reports about Erik J. Heels, a patent lawyer — whose law firm has actually invented the best-ever, if not the only, useful, pleasing and amusing…
At the Volokh Conspiracy there’s a good discussion on the lawsuit you read about over at Marty’s. It seeks, as you recall, to oust Margaret J.A. Peterlin from her position as Under Secretary of Commerce…