Tag Archives: Trademark Registration

Five Trademark Questions to Ask in the New Year

As we ring in 2023, sip some champagne and make a resolution to check in on your trademark portfolio more often.  It misses you!

Here are a few productive questions to ask:

  1. Do your registrations cover your reality?  You may have launched new brands or drastically redesigned your logo since you last interacted with the USPTO.  Or perhaps your business has expanded or evolved,…
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Under the Sea: Sneaky Trademark Filings for Cautious Companies

The general rule of thumb for trademarks in the U.S. – and everywhere else, for that matter – is “the earlier, the better.”  It’s almost always the right move to file a trademark application as early as possible, and well in advance of a product or service announcement, both to (a) minimize the possibility of conflicting marks and filings; and (b) mitigate the potential for attempted trademark and domain name “squatting” that inevitably follows a well-publicized product/service announcement. … More

Miss Trademark USA: Beauty Pageant Naming Disputes

sdJust this month, two disputes over the trademark rights to beauty pageant names were resolved, pending appeal. In World Pageants LLC v. Miss G-String International LLC, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB”) dismissed an opposition to the registration of MISS G-STRING INTERNATIONAL because the opposer’s mark (MISS NUDE INTERNATIONAL) just wasn’t similar enough to cause confusion.  Meanwhile, in Organizacion Miss America Latina v.… More

Top Five Reasons Why You Should File For Trademark Protection In Cuba

Businessmen handshake - United States and CubaAs the U.S. and Cuba progress towards normalizing trade relations, many U.S. companies are contemplating whether it makes sense to do business in Cuba.  While some companies already plan to enter the Cuban market, others have no plans to do so.  Regardless of where your company falls on that spectrum, failing to protect your brand in Cuba could create major obstacles down the road, even if you have no immediate plans to offer products or services in Cuba.… More

NYC Restaurant Scene Extends to Newark In Concurrent Use Trademark Case

BNB1The matter of Terra Sul Corp. v. Boi Na Braza, Inc. involved a concurrent use proceeding between two restaurants over their nearly identical names. In theory, the scope of the conflict was nationwide, but in reality, as one party put it, “[t]his dispute has always been about New York City.”  In a recent precedential opinion, the TTAB concluded that, because the “New York restaurant scene’s embrace is sufficiently broad to reach Newark,” a New Jersey restaurant’s area of concurrent use included New York City and,… More

Celebrity Trademark Watch: What Do Bob Marley and Chicken Fingers Have in Common?

Chicken

Apparently, the answer is “One Love.”  On December 6, 2013, Fifty-Six Hope Road Music, Ltd. (“Hope Road”), which controls reggae legend Bob Marley’s estate, filed a federal trademark infringement action against the restaurant company Raising Cane’s USA, LLC (“Raising Cane’s”).  Hope Road alleges ownership of the trademark ONE LOVE in connection with a number of goods and services.  It further claims that Raising Cane’s unauthorized use of the same mark in connection with restaurant services is a violation of Hope Road’s rights.… More