My trademark antennas automatically rise when I hear about a brand owner announcing plans to trade in one brand for another, as GM recently and surprisingly did with the Chevy nickname (brand and trademark), in favor of the longer and more formal Chevrolet brand name (and trademark). Hat tip to Nils Montan of IPAlly, for spotting
—Randall Hull, The Br@nd Ranch®
Mid-May the fine folks at Starbucks headquarters in The Emerald City – no, not the one Dorothy visited, the one that gave us grunge and baristas – set the caffeine scene atwitter with the "new" Seattle’s Best Coffee logo. To herald the launch, a mock commando operation was
It appears that energy drink brands have found another way to expand or extend their reach while still getting their active ingredients into the bloodstreams of consumers. This past weekend I encountered the Amp brand, not only in the refrigerated cases of convenience stores, but also at the grocery store check-out register, side by side with other traditional chewing gum brands. Some other blogs have
Are you able to identify BlueCar from these two images?
How about green, do you see a green car here?
And, no, we’re not testing for envy or color blindness.
Easy, right? Not so fast . . . .Continue Reading Environmentally Friendly Brands: Blue A Cleaner Choice Than Green
–Dan Kelly, Attorney
I enjoy stumbling upon niche products and markets that I am completely oblivious to in my day-to-day life. One such recent find was a store dedicated to model trains. Growing up, I built a few models–typically aircraft, and eventually model rockets. I’ve consequently always had a dim awareness that model train building
–Sharon Armstrong, Attorney
One of the common questions I hear from non-legal and non-marketing types is whether only a design can be a trademark and therefore registrable as such. As readers of this blog are well aware, almost any word or design can function as a trademark if it is used as an indicator of
–Sharon Armstrong, Attorney
Have you heard of “The Gates”?
How about “The Umbrellas”?
And how about the aptly named “Wrapped Reichstag”?
All three are art installations undertaken by the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who have made a career of conceiving and constructing truly large-scale environmental art works often consisting of the wrapping, draping, and placing of swaths of fabric on and around the planet’s landmarks and landscapes, including the Pont Neuf bridge in Paris and the Biscayne Bay Islands off of Miami.
I have always enjoyed these artists’ works for many, many reasons, not the least of which is the simple fact that their work draws attention and focus to the existing beauty, danger, randomness, and wildness of both natural landscapes and man-made structures. The Umbrellas work in particular holds a special place in my heart; I grew up near the area at which half of this work was installed and recall how the work showed off both the beauty and the magnitude of the landscape. After seeing many of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s works over the years (thought not always in person), I have certainly come to identify the formula of “fabric + landscape/structure = Christo and Jeanne-Claude.”
So imagine my surprise watching AT&T’s new commercial, which features swathes of orange fabric in a shade eerily similar to the fabric used in “The Gates” to some of America’s most celebrated landmarks:
While we were in Boston for the International Trademark Association (INTA) meeting last week, the BlackCoffee Brand Expression team invited me to speak at an intimate gathering of some of their fans. What a bright and interesting collection of folks, wonderful dialog, and a nice treat all around.
Thanks Duets Guest Blogger Mark Gallagher and
–Dan Kelly, Attorney
College sports aficionados are likely familiar with the Big Ten Conference. Beginning in 1912, there were ten schools in the Big Ten. From 1949 through 1990, those ten schools were Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Purdue, and Wisconsin. (Michigan State replaced Chicago in 1949.) In 1990,
Lest you missed the prior (absence of) fanfare from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), we thought you should know (now you have not only constructive notice, but actual notice and knowledge of these valuable and important rights) that we are the proud parents (for those of you who personalize your company’s or client’s trademarks