With the holiday season half way over, and Christmas less than a week away, you’re running out of time to bring some holiday cheer to those around you. Luckily, Chipotle, Taco Bell, and Jimmy Dean have your back and they’re ready to help you surprise and delight your food-obsessed friends and family this
Santa Goes to the Trademark Office
— Jessica Gutierrez Alm, Attorney
This is Fashion Santa.
Or at least it was until recently. Fashion Santa is a role that originated with model, Paul Mason and Toronto’s Yorkdale Mall in 2014. He promoted the mall and a successful charitable giving campaign. Mason continued as Fashion Santa during the 2015 holiday season, and became
For Trademark Demand Letters, Every Letter Counts
-Wes Anderson, Attorney
It has not been a great week for oatmeal.
The Quaker Oats Company (a subsidiary of food and beverage giant PepsiCo), on the heels of a recall for its Quaker Quinoa Granola Bars, has also made a rather embarrassing gaffe on the trademark enforcement front. And unfortunately, demand letters are far
Patent System is not the Fire that Hoverboards Need to Put Out
-Martha Engel, Attorney
One of the hottest toys during the 2015 holiday season was the hoverboard, and doesn’t that seem about right for this year. I saw my first hoverboard earlier this summer — a guy was walking and holding hands with his girlfriend, as she glided alongside him on the hoverboard. If I were
Santa Claus is in Town!
– Nicola Hill, Browne Jacobson
Season’s Greetings one and all! Welcome to the Christmas Day DuetsBlog, where you can find a spot of light-hearted IP cheer being brought to you direct from the fireside in the United Kingdom.
Now, I hope that Father Christmas has been good to all of our readers this year and
A Few Useful Holiday Inventions
— Jessica Gutierrez Alm, Attorney
One principal requirement for obtaining a utility patent is that the invention be useful. “Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor.” 35 U.S.C. 101. The usefulness requirement has roots in
Have Yourself a Merry 12 Days of SWIFTMAS
-Martha Engel, Attorney
Even amid the December hustle and bustle of the holidays, my mind is never very far from trademark and patent issues – especially when getting Christmas songs stuck in my head while shopping for friends and family. I’m prone to get two Christmas songs in particular stuck in my head – Mariah
Artisan Christmas Gifts
Two years ago, my wife’s family instituted a handmade policy for Christmas gifts. We each draw a name, and make a gift for a not-so-lucky recipient. It should also be noted that our handmade claims often amount to artisan puffery. The authenticity of these gifts is highly questionable – often bordering
Have a STELLAr Christmas
While it seems like Santa’s agent did not turn down any requests for ad appearances in 2014 by the Man in the Red Suit (check out this one), this was one of the best recent holiday ads this year:
No Santa here, but there is something else conspicuously absent from a Stella Artois commercial
I’m a Patent Attorney – Isn’t that Scary Enough?
A Hoppy Halloween from all of us ghoulish folks here at DuetsBlog!
Spending for Halloween this year is likely to hit $11 billion dollars, possibly more than is spent decorating for Christmas. This fact is easily witnessed in many neighborhoods around town, especially this one where just about every house has some sort of