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Tag Archives: Design Patents

Samuel Adams Better Beer Glass . . . No Trademark For You?

Posted in Advertising, Branding, Food, Infringement, Law Suits, Marketing, Non-Traditional Trademarks, Product Configurations, Product Packaging, Sight, Trademarks

If the "Soup Nazi" were employed as a Trademark Examining Attorney at the USPTO, he might be heard crabbing at the makers of Samuel Adams Boston Lager, were they to attempt to register or claim as a trademark the shape of their "new" beer glass from 2007, now almost four years old: "No trademark for you!" ("Best… Continue Reading

MiraLAX Won’t “Loosen Up” Against OTC Store Brand Competition

Posted in Advertising, Branding, Copyrights, Dilution, Infringement, Law Suits, Marketing, Product Packaging, Sight, Trademarks

Schering-Plough Healthcare, owner of the MiraLAX brand — the top-selling OTC oral laxative ($360 Million in OTC sales since launching in February 2007) — has pulled out all of the available stops and then some, in a pre-Thanksgiving Day federal district court action brought in the District of Delaware, asserting a variety of intellectual property and unfair competition claims… Continue Reading

The FURminator® and Ads Touting Utility: Marking the Termination of Product Configuration Trademark Protection?

Posted in Advertising, Look-For Ads, Marketing, Non-Traditional Trademarks, Product Configurations, Trademarks

    If FURminator Inc. were looking for a pitchman to promote and increase sales of the "famous" FURminator® pet grooming tool, and recognizing the recent, sudden and unforfunate passing of famous bearded TV pitchman Billy Mays (who could sell household products better than just about anyone, and still appears to be doing so after his passing), I’m thinking that the fictional cyborg assassin… Continue Reading