Over the last decade, we’ve covered Super Bowl topics, it’s that time of year again!
We’ve probed the NFL’s overzealous activities and asked hard fair use questions.
And, with Big Game LII in our backyard, we had a front row ambush marketing seat.
With digital marketing, that front row seat can be anywhere your
Can a gang become a brand? This is a question asked in the new Netflix show, Trigger Warning, produced by and starring Michael Render, AKA Killer Mike, one half of the Grammy-nominated rap group Run the Jewels.
Killer Mike of Run the Jewels performing at Pitchfork Chicago on
– Mark Prus, Principal, NameFlash
In a recent article in The New York Times, John Williams discussed the evolution of our language through the “vowel dropping” trend.
He mentions the use of vowel dropping in naming tech companies, as tech companies like Tumblr and Flickr dropped vowels “…both for distinctiveness and because the altered
You may recall that DuetsBlog informed you in May of 2016 (here) that Beyoncé filed suit in New York federal court against a company and its owners who were using the mark Feyoncé on apparel and other products, such as mugs. She has now dismissed the lawsuit—likely based on a settlement (although the
Las Vegas has a welcoming brand, probably best known by the nearly decade old famous and iconic slogan: What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas.
LVCVA owns it for gaming machines, slot machine services, and “promoting the Las Vegas, Nevada area as a destination for leisure and business travelers.”
If you’re not
–James Mahoney, Razor’s Edge Communications
Back in the ’70s, National Geographic ran a story on Boston firefighters.
The writer mentioned a barb that a fireman tossed his way. “Ya gonna do another silver jets piece, huh?” Adding sarcastically, “Ya know: silver jets of water piercing the dark sky as they bravely battle the inferno…”
I
A local real estate agent has argued that the above design is unique enough to make the SOLD! designation distinctive and registrable as a service mark for “information in the field of real estate and real estate services,” among other goods and services. The USPTO wasn’t sold on the idea, but not
From time to time, I post squirrelly thoughts. Today, I wonder: Should a large company with famous, distinct trademarks sometimes hold back from aggressively enforcing those trademarks, even when doing so might at first appear to be a useful competitive strategy? I’m sure many executives at McDonald’s–the worldwide fast-food chain that it is so ubiquitous
– Mark Prus, Principal, NameFlash
Mastercard has become the latest company to shift to a “no name” approach to branding.
Of course, they aren’t the first to do this (see Nike, Starbucks, Apple, Target, etc.). We are living in an image-driven world (e.g., Instagram) so this trend is not surprising.
A Mastercard spokesperson said: “As
Last Friday, the Supreme Court decided it will hear the Brunetti case, and take a closer look at Section 2(a) of the Lanham Act, the portion forbidding federal registration of trademarks having matter that is scandalous or immoral.
So, it appears my big prediction for 2019 is pointing in the affirmative direction:
“In terms