No Mercy For Starbucks in Federal Appellate Court
Coffee giant Starbucks was defeated in federal appeals court by a small coffee manufacturer in New Hampshire. The case was initiated twelve years ago when a small coffee company was sued by the colossal corporation for selling a coffee called Charbucks. The initial decision was not overturned by the appellate court because the defense failed […]
Hit Song “YMCA” Returns to Original Writer
Sometimes a little-known law can make all the difference in a legal outcome. Such is the case for Victor Willis. You may know him as the lead singer of the 1970s disco group, the Village People. Recently, Mr. Willis was able to regain the rights to the songs he wrote after 1978, thanks to a […]
Trademark Offense and Defense Strategies
If you’ve gone through the process of developing an idea, it’s important to protect it before you start using it. Remember that simply registering with the US Trade and Patent Office is not a surefire way to protect your brand. For the best protection, it’s important to seek legal counsel. Some steps you can take […]
Raise a Glass and Protect Your Assets!
Not just anyone can brew the perfect beer. It takes the right person (or team) years to develop the right recipe. You bring quality and your customers love you for it! If you have a proprietary recipe, it’s important to take steps to ensure that it is protected. If not, you are putting yourself and […]
Now Is the Time
Your intangible assets are valuable. Now is the time to protect them. If you have developed proprietary materials such as slide shows, bullet-point lists, logos, manuscripts, or any other intellectually-based content, it’s critical that you protect your assets! The future of your business depends on it. Seek the advice of legal counsel to guide you […]
The New York Trademarked Cronut!
People wait in line for hours to get a chance to taste the trademarked New York Cronut from the Dominique Ansel Bakery. This cream-filled croissant-doughnut’s demand wipes out the bakery’s supply daily and, not surprisingly, some duplications of the Cronut have popped up since its creation. However, because Dominique Ansel had the forethought to file […]
The Importance of Intellectual Property Protection: Slogans, Label Design and Recipe Trademark and Copyright Laws
In a previous blog post title “The Importance of Intellectual Property Protection: The Small Brewery Example,” we discussed the importance of new and small businesses protecting themselves and their brand by remaining aware of other business brands and taking active measures to not infringe upon them. However, not only can the name of the company, […]
Apple Sued for Copying Google Technology
Google took Apple, Inc to the Court of International Trade claiming infringement of several features that showed up in Apple’s iPhone technology. The supposed infringements were directed towards the method of preventing a user’s head from accidentally activating the touch screen while talking on the phone. The court did not find Apple guilty of infringement. […]
Protecting Your Creativity
You’ve just created a beautiful work of art; a song, a play, a painting, a novel. What can you do? Protect it with copyright You’ve just created a new machine- that makes the world a better place. What can you do? Protect it with a patent You’ve just created a logo for your company- It […]
Mommy Wine Trademark Fight!
Reuters reports on a trademark legal battle between rival wine sellers that are creating brands focused on mothers. Winery Clos Lachance Wines wanted the court to declare that its “Mommyjuice” does not violate the trademark of “Mommy’s Time Out”. The term “Mommy” is a generic word and the use thereof is not likely to be […]