Normally when we talk about stripes trademarks , we’re talking about iconic sportswear brand adidas. An avid litigant with respect to use of “three stripe” designs on footwear and clothing, adidas is a regular feature here at DuetsBlog, where we have discussed disputes with lululemon, Puma, and retail store Forever 21. But
Fashion
What Is In A Name – A LOT!
The parent company of fashion giant Coach found out that there is a lot to a brand name.
Coach’s strategic plan was to expand into a specialty retailer that would branch out beyond the COACH® brand. To accomplish this strategy, Coach acquired both snazzy shoe company Stuart Weitzman and trendy Kate Spade & Co.
In…
Owning a (Wholesome) Four Letter Word
I’m not talking about those kinds of four letter words (by the way, we’re still awaiting the Brunetti decision to learn their fate), so today I’m talking about this wholesome kind:
Inquiring minds may wonder (and interested alumni) how the University of Iowa might go about owning federally-registered rights in the word IOWA to…
Long Trail Brewing Tells Burton to TAKE A HIKE!
-Martha Engel, Attorney
What happens when a clothing manufacturer starts selling graphic t-shirts and sweatshirts, perhaps without doing a proper trademark search? Sometimes a lawsuit.
A trailblazing brewery when it comes to trademark disputes, Long Trail recently sued snowboard manufacturer and fellow Vermonter Burton for using TAKE A HIKE on shirts and sweatshirts. Here’s…
3:16 as a Trademark?
Over the weekend, IPBiz reported that WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) has filed an application to register 3:16 as a trademark for clothing items.
A Google search confirms that 3:16 has religious significance as it is a common truncation that signifies one of the most widely quoted verses from the Bible, namely, John 3:16.
Despite…
Titleist Trademark Tarnishment?
-Wes Anderson, Attorney
During today’s first round of the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, many a golf ball bearing the famous TITLEIST cursive script will be lofted into the heavens – meanwhile, back on the ground, the brand’s owner is attempting to stamp out a lewd parody of its trademark.
An online golf apparel company,…
The Brand With 3 Stripes, Bands, or Stitches?
We’ve written a lot over the years about Adidas’ three-stripe non-verbal, non-traditional trademark. Turns out, Adidas actually owns a federally-registered trademark for the verbal, spelled-out, look-for advertising equivalent too, called: The Brand With The 3 Stripes®.
We haven’t until now probed the meaning of “stripe” though: “A long narrow band or strip,…
IVIKE, Can We Have Just a Little More Space?
Hat tip to Sri for capturing this image of a passing by backpack, illustrating how much a little spacing can end up making all the difference in the world, when it comes to brand identity:
To the extent, IV IKE, I VIKE, or even IVIKE might be a legitimate backpack brand, when the letter…
Battle of the Bands and the Clothiers
The famous Coachella Music Festival is held every April in Indio, California. This year Beyoncé, Radiohead, Lorde and several DJs (including DJ Snyder, DJ Kahleel, DJ Shadow) performed.
The Coachella Music Festival, LLC and Goldenvoice, LLC (collectively “Coachella Parties”) sued Urban Outfitters, Inc. (“Urban Outfitters”) and its subsidiary Free People of PA LLC (“Free People”)…
Adidas v. Puma: Another three-stripe lawsuit
We’ve written on several occasions (for example, here, here, and here) about the aggressive policing by Adidas of its well-known “three-stripe” mark for shoes, including attempts to enforce its mark against other two-stripe or four-stripe designs (with some success).
Adidas is at it again, with a new lawsuit asserting trademark infringement…