—Randall Hull, The Br@nd Ranch® Last November a polar-white holiday Coke design forced Coca-Cola to kick the can off store shelves after a swift and vocal backlash from Coke imbibers. The endothermic reaction was like they had changed their formula or something. Oh yea, they did that already. The arctic can design lasted only a… Continue Reading
Tag Archives: Coke®
Taste Infringement?
Posted in Advertising, Branding, Food, Guest Bloggers, Infringement, Marketing, Non-Traditional Trademarks, Taste, Trademarks, TTABWe’ve spent some time here discussing the world-famous Coca-Cola brand. Most recently, David Mitchell wrote about the incredible consistency of the Coca-Cola brand over the past 125 years. A while back Dave Taylor wrote a nice Ode to the Brand of Brands, the King of Cola: Coke. And, let’s not forget my humble suggestion that… Continue Reading
Coca-Cola’s Consistency Most Remarkable
Posted in Advertising, Branding, Famous Marks, Goodwill, Guest Bloggers, Marketing, Television, Trademarks—David Mitchel, Norton Mitchel Marketing Coca-Cola is celebrating its 125th birthday this month. A 125 year history as a brand is quite remarkable. Very few brands last that long. In its 125 history, Coca-Cola has become an iconic brand globally. Coca-Cola is a great case in showing the importance of the various elements of the… Continue Reading
GM’s Chevy Trademark Dodges Fatal Lyrics: “This’ll Be The Day That I Die”
Posted in Branding, Famous Marks, Goodwill, Loss of Rights, Marketing, TrademarksMy trademark antennas automatically rise when I hear about a brand owner announcing plans to trade in one brand for another, as GM recently and surprisingly did with the Chevy nickname (brand and trademark), in favor of the longer and more formal Chevrolet brand name (and trademark). Hat tip to Nils Montan of IPAlly, for spotting GM’s Chevy veering… Continue Reading
Trademark Initial Interest Confusion: It’s The Real Thing
Posted in Advertising, Branding, Food, Infringement, Keyword Ads, Marketing, TrademarksA little while back I wrote about the Likelihood of Confusion test in Trademark Law and how it protects trademark owners against much more than simply likelihood of confusion as to source. I also wrote about how Wolf Appliance was able to convince a federal judge in Wisconsin to grant a preliminary injunction barring Viking Range from selling a… Continue Reading
An Ode to the Brand of Brands, the King of Cola: Coke
Posted in Guest BloggersDear Coke: I love you. You are an incredible product. You are the Babe Ruth of soft drinks, the proprietor of the word “cola,” and most of all, the brand of all brands. Your brand is not just bulletproof; it’s indestructible—even from self-inflicted damage. Interbrand, the global branding giant, recently valued you at… Continue Reading
You Heard it Here First: Nashville is Brand Central Station!
Posted in Advertising, Branding, Famous Marks, Marketing, Non-Traditional Trademarks, TrademarksFor the record, I love music, lots of different artists and musical styles: Bob Dylan to Aerosmith, Otis Redding to Elvis, Montgomery Gentry to Santana, Climax Blues Band to Bill Withers, Jack Johnson to Jamey Johnson, Michael Jackson to Alan Jackson, James Taylor to Taylor Swift, Pink Floyd to Wallflowers, Pat Benatar to Pat Green, Glen Campbell to Stevie Wonder, Beatles to Terri Clark, Cat Stevens… Continue Reading
Duets Blog Authors
Steve Baird
Just so you know, I'm all about brands and the law, both professionally and personally. I regularly annoy family and friends in retail stores by focusing on product labels—not to buy the product, but to read the fine print and ask, "Who owns these brands" and "Did they really register those marks?" More...
Brent Lorentz
Although I wish I could say my path to the law was the result of a lifelong dream or calling, it was more the result mere curiosity and an affinity for leather-bound books. More...
Tiffany Blofield
Although my initial career path was to be one of the Supremes (not the musically talented ones with platform shoes and sequins, but rather, the nine wearing sensible shoes and pressed black robes in DC), I will likely stay in Minnesota as I have never lived anywhere else. More...
Brad Walz
My law career started on the ice…as a defensive hockey player (we’re not talking professionally…and if I were, I probably wouldn’t have gotten into law). More...
Derek Allen
In hindsight, writing about creativity and the law may have always been in the cards for me. I began training for a career in litigation at an early age by finding ways to disagree with pretty much anyone about pretty much anything. In my longest-running “case,” I argued with my middle school math teacher, Mrs. Jabs, for the better part of four years over whether, even if I got the right answer, I had to show my work to get full credit. More...
Martha Engel
Although my interest in gadgetry and my aptitude for math eventually led me to become an engineer, my ad executive father and artistically gifted mother fostered an appreciation for the creative from a young age. More...
Anjali Shankar
When I was in elementary and middle school, I loved writing short stories. Creativity and imagination seem to come naturally to people when they are young. More...
Timothy Sitzmann
I have always considered myself to be a creative person. Full disclosure: I'm not claiming that I've created anything good, merely that I have created things that exist.More...
Cathleen Dahl
Trademarks and I met through a small job advertisement in the back of a local newspaper, and little did I know that I would spend the next 18 years (and counting) deriving a living from their existence and importance. More...