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
Tag Archives: Techdirt
A Monkey, a Blogger, and a News Agency Walk into a Bar . . .
Posted in Copyrights, Fair UseTechDirt published a post a couple of weeks ago about a monkey that took some photos. TechDirt explored whether the monkey could own or assign the copyright in the photos. It is worth surfing over to see one of the self-portraits, and the commentary is interesting. Just last week, TechDirt reported that it had received… Continue Reading
Best Buy Criticized for Geek Squad Trademark C&D Letter
Posted in Advertising, Branding, Infringement, Marketing, Sight, Television, TrademarksBest Buy was the subject of some intense criticism at the end of last week when Chris Morran of The Consumerist Blog and Mike Masnick of the Techdirt Blog took Best Buy to task and Mike went so far as to label Best Buy a "trademark bully" for sending a cease and desist letter to Newegg for… Continue Reading
Webinar: Strategies For Dealing With “Trademark Bullies”
Posted in TrademarksLast 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”
Posted in Infringement, Law Suits, Trademarks, TTABOn 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
Apple vs. Apple: Protecting Your Brand Abroad
Posted in Branding, Famous Marks, International, TrademarksThe inquiring minds at TechDirt have unearthed a spat between Apple and Woolworths (the supermarket chain in New Zealand and Australia) due to the latter’s adoption of a curly-cue-letter-W-shaped mark, shown below: Putting aside dilution issues, the central question would appear to be whether confusion is possible, let alone likely, given that Woolworths… Continue Reading
On Trademark Enforcement & Protection: Is Twitter on Target or Off the Mark?
Posted in Genericide, Infringement, Loss of Rights, TrademarksBrand managers and marketers often wonder about the risks and consequences of not enforcing or protecting their trademarks from infringement. A shooting target formed by a series of concentric circles is the best graphic I have found to illustrate the legal answer to their frequent question. Judging from the robust criticism Twitter has received about its lax or laissez-faire approach to trademark… 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...
Catlan McCurdy
Having long been told by my parents that I could do or be anything I wanted, I chose at the age of 10 to become an attorney, as it was the career that would most likely lead me to my goal of becoming the first woman POTUS.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...