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Tag Archives: Minneapolis

McDonald’s Trade Dress? State Farm is There.

By on Posted in Advertising, Branding, Dilution, Famous Marks, Food, Infringement, Marketing, Non-Traditional Trademarks, Sight, Trademarks

Passing by a roadside billboard recently (below is a miniature version I found in the Minneapolis skyway system), my first thought was, wow, McDonald’s is getting into the juicy lucy business: Until more focus revealed that State Farm Insurance is the one behind the ad. Look familiar? No doubt burgers and car insurance are totally different lines of business and… Continue Reading

Open Wide and Say Ahh: Probing Brand Name & Trademark Pronunciation

By on Posted in Advertising, Articles, Branding, Marketing, Trademarks

The current series of advertising billboards from Allianz – an international financial services company, with its parent company headquartered in Munich, Germany – are really wonderful, and their creativity inspired this post about brand name pronunciation. Here is one billboard example I recently captured in Minneapolis with my iPad, to the left. How we pronounce words, names, places, and brand names… Continue Reading

LMFAO: Scandalous and We Know It

By on Posted in Trademarks, USPTO

–Catlan McCurdy, Attorney The band LMFAO is coming to Minneapolis this May. The band’s name, a mouthful of letters sadly capable of no shorter nickname, is derived from Internet slang that evolved from LOL to LMAO to LMFAO.  If you don’t know the meaning behind each acronym, I’ll leave your capable fingers to the Internet… Continue Reading

Tiger Traded for Candy?

By on Posted in Advertising, Branding, Food, Goodwill, Guest Bloggers, Marketing

Recently capturing this Accenture billboard in the Minneapolis airport, I couldn’t help but be struck by how far the Accenture brand has moved from its previously prized spokesperson and celebrity Tiger Woods, apparently just in time for Tiger’s recent rebound on the golf course — I’ll refrain from calling it a comeback. I’m not sure where his… Continue Reading

Insuring a Great Super Bowl Trademark Fight

By on Posted in Advertising, Almost Advice, Articles, Branding, Fair Use, Infringement, Law Suits, Marketing, Trademark Bullying, Trademarks

So, tomorrow is the big day, the big game, or whatever else other intimidated advertisers might call it. I just want to find the best deal on a flat screen television today! But, more to Mike Masnick’s point on Techdirt about the NFL’s reputation as a “trademark bully,” and his challenge to advertisers — “It’s the Super Bowl…. Continue Reading

Why Publicity Matters, Part II (Best Publicity Strategy)

By on Posted in Guest Bloggers, Television

—Neil F. Anderson, Founder/President, The Courage Group, Inc. Having already discussed Why Publicity Matters last week, the most effective publicity strategy is to position yourself as an expert in your field. Notice how the media, especially television, seems to have the same experts come on shows to comment on stories etc. This did not happen by accident… Continue Reading

The Seasonality of Materiality?

By on Posted in Advertising, Law Suits, Marketing

          A false advertising case filed yesterday in Minnesota federal district court caught my eye: Splash Products, Inc. v. Twinco Romax, LLC and Twinco/Romax Wisconsin, Inc. It is a rather straightforward false advertising case with the typical legal claims you’d expect to see, but what caught my eye is that the parties are going to… Continue Reading

Trademark Bull?

By on Posted in Advertising, Branding, Food, Look-For Ads, Marketing, Mixed Bag of Nuts, Non-Traditional Trademarks, Sight, Trademark Bullying, Trademarks

In the midst of all our discussion about “trademark bullying,” I couldn’t resist picking up this ”No Bull” postcard from Manny’s Steakhouse in Minneapolis, Minnesota. You may recall Dan previously wrote about Manny’s promoting similar images with the phrase “One Helluva Sac Lunch”. Dan also noted the irony of the best beef coming from steers, not… Continue Reading

3M v. Shoplet (A Post-It Brand Stick Up?)

By on Posted in Law Suits

Last Friday Twin Cities Business and the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported on 3M’s recent trademark infringement case filed against online retailer Shoplet. In case you haven’t seen it yet, here is a pdf of the complaint. It asserts a variety of violations of 3M’s exclusive rights in the federally-registered POST-IT trademark, including federal trademark infringement, false designation of… Continue Reading

Losing the L-Word

By on Posted in Advertising, Almost Advice, Branding, Guest Bloggers, International, Marketing

 Okay, nobody wants to be a "loser," unless, of course, you happen to be the biggest one, but that’s beside the point, because that’s not the L-word I’m talking about today. No, I’m talking about a much more traditionally positive L-word, as in "leader," but as I learned earlier this week, at an excellent breakfast seminar hosted at Padilla Speer Beardsley (PSB) headquarters in Minneapolis, entitled… Continue Reading

Advanced Trademark Law Afternoon Program

By on Posted in Mixed Bag of Nuts, Trademarks

It appears I have overlooked highlighting to our readers an upcoming opportunity to advance and hone your trademark knowledge and perspective. Here is a link to the pdf brochure for the event. On Wednesday March 2, starting at 1:15 PM (after the conclusion of the morning session on Introduction to Trademark Law), in downtown Minneapolis, we’ll be discussing these… Continue Reading

Webinar: Strategies For Dealing With “Trademark Bullies”

By on Posted in Trademark Bullying, Trademarks

Last week we announced a trademark seminar taking place in Minneapolis on March 2, 2011, and one of the hot topics to be discussed from 1:15 – 2:30 PM CST, is “Strategies For Dealing With “Trademark Bullies.” Given the special interest in the trademark bullying topic outside and well beyond the Twin Cities, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education has decided to… Continue Reading

Strategies for Dealing with “Trademark Bullies”

By on Posted in Infringement, Law Suits, Trademark Bullying, Trademarks, TTAB

On Wednesday March 2, 2011, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at 1:15 PM CST, we’ll be discussing “Strategies for Dealing With “Trademark Bullies” — a pdf of the brochure is here. I’ll be moderating a 75 minute panel discussion with these distinguished speakers: Jacqueline A. Leimer, Chicago-Kent College of Law Mike Masnik, Techdirt Craig Krummen, Winthrop & Weinstine, P.A…. Continue Reading

Roof Collapse at Mall of America (Field)

By on Posted in Mixed Bag of Nuts

Do you suppose that the Mall of America ever thought about its brand name being associated with a "roof collapse" when it signed on and paid for the naming rights at the aging Mall of America Field, the nearly thirty year old inflatable indoor venue "formerly known as" the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota? Having seen this image, the above… Continue Reading

Parking Lot Lures & Twins Brand Bait?

By on Posted in Advertising, Branding, Fair Use, Goodwill, Infringement, Marketing, Trademarks

Guys and gals on the street waiving orange flags aren’t the only parking lot lures in Twins Territory: We’ve talked before about how some of those doing business or advertising in close proximity to Minneapolis’ brand new Target Field – home to the Minnesota Twins – appear to see advantage in using the Twins name (and now logo, and/or trade… Continue Reading

Can You Rollerblade On K2 Brand In-Line Skates?

By on Posted in Mixed Bag of Nuts

These kinds of signs — that appear to single out Rollerblade brand in-line skate loyalists – are all over the place. This one happens to be in the parking garage I use in downtown Minneapolis. To understand why the Rollerblade brand may find itself in this perilous position, read on, here. For some additional reading on the related question of verbing brands, take a… Continue Reading

When the Color Black Functions, But Not as a Trademark

By on Posted in Advertising, Branding, Law Suits, Marketing, Non-Traditional Trademarks, Trademarks, TTAB

Now that kids are back to school and summer is coming to a close, this billboard advertisement has disappeared from I-94 just outside of downtown Minneapolis. Before it vanished from the roadside, however, I thought to capture it to tell a little trademark tale here, one from years past, but one that remains relevant, important, and applicable to trademark claims involving the color black.  As… Continue Reading

Seth Godin Enlightens Linchpins in Minneapolis

By on Posted in Advertising, Branding, Trademarks

  Marketing maven, strategist, visionary, and best-selling author Seth Godin spent a day at Pantages Theater in Minneapolis last Thursday, providing much food for thought among not only the attending crowd, but those following the dialogue on Twitter too. The sushi and cupcake lunch Seth selected, and that we enjoyed, on the roof of neighboring Seven, was pretty nice too…. Continue Reading

A Longer, Unnecessary Name for the Volvo Brand?

By on Posted in Advertising, Audio, Branding, Fair Use, Marketing, Trademarks

Someone who is in the business of repairing Volvo brand automobiles has the right to say so, in advertising, and elsewhere – without obtaining advance permission from Volvo – provided consumers aren’t likely to understand the advertisement or communication to mean that the repair services and/or the business providing them is authorized by, affiliated with, or otherwise connected to… Continue Reading

Exposing Two-Face Brands

By on Posted in AlphaWatch, Branding, Goodwill, Guest Bloggers, Marketing, Trademarks

I’m not talking about brands that say one thing and do another. I’m not talking about brands that don’t live up to their promise. I’m literally talking about brands with two faces. One face may be confident, complicated, technical, professional, and/or formal. Let’s call him, Stephen. The other face might be friendly, simple, approachable, engaging, and/or informal… Continue Reading

Ambush Marketing With A Twist of Twins Brand Bait?

By on Posted in Advertising, Branding, Infringement, Marketing, Trademarks

 With the brand new outdoor Target Field located in downtown Minneapolis, the buzz is palpable, and there is certainly more foot and other forms of traffic, especially on the end of town closest to where the Minnesota Twins now play their home games. Given that increased traffic I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that some businesses will… Continue Reading