No, I’m not referring to the Rage Against The Machine song. I’m talking about something much more exciting: commercial testimonials and endorsements! Have you ever watched commercials containing celebrity endorsements or customer testimonials and wondered where the line is for the things they say? For example, when you see an absolutely atrocious commercial for something called the Cookie Diet… Continue Reading
Tag Archives: FTC
Retailer Ann Taylor Dodges FTC’s First Endorsement Enforcement Bullet
Posted in Guest Bloggers—Paul W. Mussell, Senior Counsel in Intellectual Property Group, Wells Fargo The FTC recently completed its first investigation under the “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” See guidelines here. The guidelines, which officially went into effect on December 1, 2009, call for online publishers to disclose "material connections" they have with a… Continue Reading
Let’s Play “Truth or Consequences”: The New FTC Guides for Endorsements & Testimonials Bring Truth a Little Bit Closer
Posted in Guest BloggersWe all would agree that “As Seen on TV” is one of the great brands of all time. The brilliant marketeers behind it recognized the extraordinary power of television – people believe as true what they see on TV. Why that is I’m sure has been the subject of enumerable studies; after all it defines who… Continue Reading
Toys “R” Us, Indeed
Posted in Branding, Domain Names, TrademarksA couple of weeks ago, news reports came out that KB Toys, which had filed for bankruptcy in December, sold its trademarks and domain names to a company called CE Stores LLC for $2.1 million. Last week, Toys "R" Us disclosed that it owns CE Stores. While this may be somewhat unremarkable, consider that Toys "R"… Continue Reading
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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...
Dan Kelly
You can call me a “non-traditional” attorney, which is a polite way of saying that I did not attend law school straight out of college. I spent five of my first six years after college as a junior high school teacher. The other year I worked as an engineer for a large corporation. More...
Sharon Armstrong
Voted most likely to become an actress while in pre-school, I don’t think I surprised anyone by becoming a lawyer, the steadiest professional gig open to those with a flair for the dramatic. 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...
Susan Perera
Born into the world with an aptitude for science and an affinity for art I found my career path quickly chosen for me. More...
Joy S. Newborg
When I took a personality/career test in high school to determine which path in life I should follow, I was told I should either be in broadcast journalism or law. So after I went to undergraduate school for broadcast journalism and film/television, I went on to obtain my law degree from the University of Minnesota. More...
Laura Gutierrez
An attorney I am not. Though told to become one, I don't possess those qualities needed to be an effective one (I lack confrontation skills, and although I can write a great argumentative essay, I can’t argue outside a sheet of paper). More...