It seems like each year a new sports franchise is threatening to move to a new city. Here in Minnesota, we recently ensured at least 15 more years of the Vikings with the newly opened U.S. Bank Stadium. Before the announcement of the stadium deal, though, each time a veiled threat of the Vikings leaving
The RedBox Mark Has Gone to Waste and 3 Quick Lessons to Learn
The RedBox brand continues to dominate the movie rental market. For the uninitiated, RedBox is a brand of movie and video game rental vending machines placed in convenient locations like grocery stores, gas stations, and fast food lobbies, like the one below:
However RedBox’s commercial success hasn’t stopped the brand from going to waste –
With 5,000,000 Registrations in the Books, What’s Next?
Two months ago we discussed the impending issuance of U.S. Trademark Registration Number 5,000,000. That milestone has now come and gone, with Reg. No. 5,000,000 issuing on July 12, 2016. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, COASTAL TACO BAR + CHILL:
With the high failure rates of restaurants, there is a fair shot that
Is the US Olympic Committee’s #TwitterBan Fair or Foul?
The 2016 Summer Olympics will officially* begin in eight days. Yet the U.S. Olympic Committee’s (USOC) efforts to enforce the Olympic trademarks are truly an eternal battle. While the USOC has a reputation for aggressively enforcing its trademark rights, the USOC seems to have set a new personal record for aggressive tactics, attempting to enforce
USPTO Keeps the Door Locked for Marijuana-related Services
Medical marijuana is currently legal in 25 states, including four states that have also legalized recreational use (Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington). On Nov. 8, California voters will have a chance to make their state the next to legalize recreational use. As a dollar amount, Forbes estimated that Colorado’s marijuana industry was worth $1 billion
On the Precipice of Registration Number 5,000,000
Don’t look now, but the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is about to hit a major milestone: we are only 24,819 registrations away from the magic number 5,000,000. The only thing more incredible than that number is the inexplicable lack of news media coverage. Maybe now that the primaries are over, the USPTO will finally
Second Circuit Weighs in on Nominative Fair Use
The federal courts of appeals have split as to how to apply the doctrine of nominative fair use in trademark infringement cases. Last week, the Second Circuit endorsed the nominative fair use factors used by the Ninth and Third Circuits. At the same time, however, the court rejected the manner in which the Ninth and
Trademark Litigation Keeps Getting Cheaper (If You Win)
Slowly but surely, the extension of the Supreme Court’s 2014 Octane Fitness v. LLC v. Icon Health and Fitness, Inc. decision to trademark claims is gaining traction among federal appellate courts. The Octane Fitness decision addressed the standard for determining whether a case is “exceptional” under the Patent Act and therefore eligible for an award
Trademark Lessons for New Businesses from a Lawsuit Against a Colorado Juice Bar
It is a big, exciting, and dangerous risk to start a new business. There were approximately 400,000 in 2014 (continuing a recent downward trend, according to Gallup). Most entrepreneurs know that the odds are stacked against them, as about 50% of new companies fail during their first five years (dig deeper into the numbers
Hope Springs Eternal – Even for Baseball Trademark Disputes
Across the United States this week, fans rejoiced as baseball returned. Teams took to the diamond and played the first games to count since last year’s World Series. Players, coaches, and fans all turned the page on last season, starting with a clean slate and an undefeated record. But while the players battled on baseball