“Can We Both Keep the Name?” How Trademark Coexistence Agreements Work (and When They Backfire) **Attorney Advertising**
The WNBA is seeking to register “The W” for clothing and apparel items, including sports jerseys, hoodies, t-shirts, caps, footwear, and pants. In response, the Chicago Cubs—who have raised a “W” flag following home victories since the 1930s—and the Washington Nationals, whose primary logo features a curly “W,” filed a joint opposition right before the […]
The $23.8 Million Dupe: What Van Leeuwen v. Rebel Creamery Means for Anyone Whose Product Has a “Look” **Attorney Advertising**
Two ice cream brands just delivered one of the most expensive trademark lessons of the year, and it has nothing to do with a name or a logo. From the Complaint https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nyed.463399/gov.uscourts.nyed.463399.1.0.pdf In July, a federal judge here in Brooklyn ordered Rebel Creamery, the keto ice cream sold at Walmart and Kroger, to hand over […]
The NO FAKES Act: What Business Owners and Creators Need to Know About AI Voice and Likeness Rights *Attorney Advertising**
The NO FAKES Act is a federal bill that would, for the first time, give every person a nationwide property right in their own voice and face, enforceable against unauthorized AI-generated “digital replicas.” It cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously in June 2026 and is now awaiting a full Senate vote. If your voice, face, […]
LegalZoom vs. an IP Attorney for Your Trademark: An Honest Comparison *Attorney Advertising**
Is LegalZoom good for trademarks? Honest answer: I don’t know but I have corrected many applications initially filed vie LegalZoom or it’s competitors. It’s good at what it actually does, which is making business owners think about protecting their brand and take action to protect it. What it doesn’t do is the legal judgment around […]
Is Your Brand Showing Up in AI Answers? Why That’s Now a Trademark Issue **Attorney Advertising**
When customers ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google’s AI Overviews, “what’s the best ___?”, they get one recommendation, not ten links. If that answer is a knockoff of your product, or a garbled description of your business, that’s not just a marketing problem. It’s a trademark problem, and your registered trademark is the leverage you have […]
Is the USPTO Judging My Creativity? What Trademark Examiners Actually Look At **Attorney Advertising**
Clients ask me some version of this all the time: “Will the examiner like my name? It’s really clever.” And I get why people think this way. You spent weeks brainstorming. The name feels inspired. Surely that counts for something. Here’s the truth: the USPTO is not grading your creativity. There’s no points system for […]
Selling Your Business? Your IP Might Not Be Coming With It **Attorney Advertising**
Here’s a scenario I see more often than you’d expect. A founder builds a business, finds a buyer, agrees on a price, and everyone starts celebrating. Then the buyer’s lawyers start due diligence, and the deal hits a wall. The trademark is registered in the founder’s personal name, not the company’s. The website and product […]
AI Can’t Own Your Work — But You Can: What the Supreme Court’s Latest Move Means for Creators **Attorney Advertising**
If you’ve been following the conversation around artificial intelligence and intellectual property, here’s the latest development: the U.S. Supreme Court has officially closed the door on whether AI can be a copyright author, at least for now. On March 2, 2026, the Court declined to hear Thaler v. Perlmutter, ending Dr. Stephen Thaler’s multi-year effort […]
Patent Trolls vs. Small Inventors: An Insider’s Playbook to Fight Back (Without Breaking the Bank) **Attorney Advertising**
If you’ve developed a great idea, filed a patent, and started building a business around it, the last thing you expect is to be sued by someone who’s never made a product in their life. Yet that’s exactly how patent trolls operate and for small inventors, the threat can feel overwhelming. But “trolls” rely on […]
The Psychology of Copying: Why Imitators Love to Flatter And What You Can Do About It**Attorney Advertising**
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But when someone copies your product, design, or brand name, it rarely feels flattering; it feels personal. Why do people copy, and what can you realistically do about it? Understanding the psychology behind imitation can help you protect your business with both confidence and strategy. Why […]