Keeping it real: Bye-bye, Banksy
Trademarks are an open book — even for Banksy. One of the signal features of the United States trademark registration system is its openness. As […]
Written by: 
Ron Coleman
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En Banc: Son of THE SLANTS Appeal Brief to the Federal Circuit
We’ve got your First Amendment right here: Props to my partner John Connell and associates Darth Newman and, of course, the redoubtable Joel MacMull — who […]
Written by: Ron Coleman
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New “knockoff news,” TM prosecution blog
Rob Holmes, anti-counterfeiting investigator to the stars, has revamped and retooled his blog — check out his Knockoff Report: News & Views in the World […]
Written by: Ron Coleman
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Why I let my trademark registration lapse
In 2006 I filed to register the trademark LIKELIHOOD OF CONFUSION®, not because I had experienced much in the way of a need for trademark enforcement, […]
Written by: Ron Coleman
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Free “legal” advice — pro bono, that is
What do you know? No one can own “pro bono” — regardless of how it’s spelled. John Welch: The USPTO refused registration of the mark […]
Written by: Ron Coleman
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Uplifting blog post on trademark protection
How to get that ® to rise above it all in Microsoft Word. Originally posted 2014-08-18 11:21:22. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Written by: 
Ron Coleman
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End-run around the USPTO
As you can imagine, the power vested in a court by this law can only be used for good… or evil. And in this Second Circuit appeal of a matter in which our office was brought in after the entry of a judgment by the district court, we argue that it was not so good what the judge did.
Written by: Ron Coleman
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Trademark “use in interstate commerce” and the decline of federalism (Best of 2016)
Originally posted December 17, 2016.What’s the use? Trademark use, that is. Heck, it’s getting harder to figure out what’s not “trademark use” these days, as […]
Written by: Ron Coleman
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Play-Doh, nontraditional trademarks and the odor of success
I was recently asked to prepare an analysis of Play-Doh’s application to register the smell of Play-Doh as a trademark, and, as I do all […]
Written by: Ron Coleman
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Words matter (Best of 2017)
Originally posted on June 22, 2017. Words are almost everything in a trademark registration, notwithstanding that one drawing. Stick with me. It’s going to get […]
Written by: Ron Coleman
Continue reading » Through WINDOWS®, darkly
Mr. Thorne, legal marketing wordsmith extraordinaire, wonders: Why would a court opinion use the magic ® symbol to refer to one registered trademark and not […]
Written by: Ron Coleman
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Words matter
Words are almost everything in a trademark registration, notwithstanding that one drawing. Stick with me. It’s going to get a little esoteric — not to […]
Written by: Ron Coleman
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Gene Simmons gives the fingers to the PTO
Yes, it’s another pop star seeking to assert digital trademark rights. This time it’s senior citizen Gene Simmons of Kiss: If you were wondering, The […]
Written by: Ron Coleman
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Wrong skillset for trademark registration (Best of 2016)
Originally posted on April 28, 2016. John Welch reports, at the TTABlog, about what you’d think would be a no-brainer: The Board affirmed a refusal […]
Written by: Ron Coleman
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