My son snapped this photo during a recent family trip to Washington, D.C. It almost has become a hobby for him to capture people in the act of ignoring a sign’s specific request or doing exactly what a sign purports to forbid. While some retreated from the water in the World War II Memorial when they… Continue Reading
Tag Archives: Trademark Notice
What Serious Trademark Owners Do
Posted in TrademarksThere are many things that serious trademark owners do throughout the lifecycle of a trademark to mitigate risk, protect the valuable goodwill in their underlying brand, and preserve their valuable investment in this important intellectual property asset. Here is a fairly extensive, but certainly not exhaustive, and often forgotten, list of those things: Clear new marks before using them… Continue Reading
Snickers Cross-Section Trademark Notice
Posted in Advertising, Branding, Famous Marks, Food, Marketing, Non-Traditional Trademarks, Sight, TrademarksYou may recall about a year ago I did a post entitled "Delicious Trademarks: Candy Bar Cross-Section Trademarks?" I was reminded of this a couple of weeks ago when I snapped this photo, capturing what I believe to be the same point of sale display that inspired my original post: A couple of months ago I saw in a convenience store a large Snickers… Continue Reading
IP Grammar . . . and Those Who Cringe About It
Posted in Mixed Bag of NutsLast September, in my blog post entitled "What Does Trademarked Mean to You?," I wrote: More than a few trademark types cringe when their clients or others say things like "let’s trademark it," "they didn’t trademark their logo," or "we don’t want to trademark this name," and, when they ask questions like "is it trademarked?"… Continue Reading
Why Marketers Don’t Give Two Hoots about Trademark Concerns‚Ñ¢
Posted in Branding, Guest Bloggers, Marketing, Trademarksby James Mahoney, Creative director/writer at Razor’s Edge Communications Okay, so I’ve read a lot of whining and agita about how marketers continually drive trademark attorneys to distraction with un-trademarkable names. And how advertisers drive those same attorneys to that same distraction with potential trademark infringements. It’s time to let you in on a dirty… Continue Reading
Kleenex® Not Wanting to Blow It: Some Steps to Avoid Trademark Genericide
Posted in Advertising, Branding, Famous Marks, Genericide, Loss of Rights, Marketing, TrademarksThis sponsored banner ad is currently appearing in AdAge’s Daily News on-line newsletter: How many boxes of tissue do you suppose this ad is responsible for selling? If the answer is none, that is probably fine with Kimberly-Clark since the return on investment for this ad is measured quite differently, I’m sure, given how the frequently misused Kleenex®… Continue Reading
What Does “Trademarked” Mean to You?
Posted in Marketing, TrademarksMore than a few trademark types cringe when their clients or others say things like "let’s trademark it," "they didn’t trademark their logo," or "we don’t want to trademark this name," and, when they ask questions like "is it trademarked?" or "is that trademarked software?" or "did we ever trademark our logo?" or "should we… Continue Reading
Percolating over Trademark Enforcement
Posted in Almost Advice, Food, Infringement, TrademarksRecently, I stopped in a neighborhood coffee shop for an iced coffee. It was a fabulous little coffee shop in a neighborhood I don’t frequent and whose name I won’t mention. Anyway, while perusing the menu, I noticed they offered a blended coffee drink under the name Frappuccino. Noting the teenager behind the counter, I did not… Continue Reading
Rapala’s “More Hits Than Google” Billboard Update (Photo Included)
Posted in Mixed Bag of NutsFinally, here is a photo of Rapala’s "More Hits Than Google" billboard ad discussed previously in my Monday post entitled: "Rapala Fishing Lures: More Hits Than Google? Or, More Cats Than You Can Shake a Stick At? " Sorry for the delay folks. Anyone notice the exceedingly small print located in the lower right corner… 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...