— Jessica Gutierrez Alm, Attorney
Amazon’s patent (U.S. Patent No. 9,280,157) for a “System and Method for Transporting Personnel Within an Active Workspace” has been in the news recently.
The invention is described as a device for keeping human workers safe in an automated (i.e., robotic) work environment. In the Background, the patent discusses the
— Jessica Gutierrez Alm, Attorney
Earlier this month, the United States Postal Service (USPS) was ordered to pay $3.5 million in damages to a sculptor for copyright infringement.
Seeking a unique redesign for its “Forever” stamps, the USPS searched stock photos for images of the Statue of Liberty. They found a particularly striking photo
— Jessica Gutierrez Alm, Attorney
A dog toy display at a local pet store caught my attention recently.
I did a double take on seeing the familiar fonts, coloring, and packaging. Not long after, I happened to find these at a different pet store.
Once again, the familiar labels, coloring, and bottle designs caught my
— Jessica Gutierrez Alm, Attorney
Branding a social movement is tricky. Many individuals following (and leading) social movements tend to view IP rights as antithetical to the spirit of the movement itself. Moreover, success in the PTO for these types of marks is by no means guaranteed. The purpose of a trademark being to identify
— Jessica Gutierrez Alm, Attorney
WWE wrestler Randy Orton has some unique ink on his arms and back, created by tattoo artist Catherine Alexander. Orton—and his tattoos—are featured in the WWE 2K video games. Alexander claims ownership of copyright in the tattoos, and is suing WWE and the makers of the video games for
— Jessica Gutierrez Alm, Attorney
In an age of rising healthcare costs, pharmaceutical companies can be an easy target in calls for patent reform. Patent protection helps drug manufacturers recoup their investment in developing the new drug,. It also prevents generic manufacturers from releasing the same drug formulation at lower cost. The Hatch-Waxman Act provides
— Jessica Gutierrez Alm, Attorney
For anyone unfamiliar with internet cat personalities, Grumpy Cat is a well-known feline whose dwarfism and underbite culminate in a perpetual—and adorable—sour expression. Grumpy Cat’s real name is Tardar Sauce. In 2012, when Tardar Sauce was only a few months old, she became an internet sensation after a photo of
— Jessica Gutierrez Alm, Attorney
Twitter, the social media giant, is being sued by its internet cousin, TWiT. TWiT, which initially stood for This Week in Tech, is a netcast network providing audio and video tech-related content. TWiT owns the registered service mark TWIT for visual and audio entertainment performances.
According to the
— Jessica Gutierrez Alm, Attorney
The term Comic Con has become synonymous with a certain culture. In recent years, comic book conventions (and comic book culture), have become increasingly popular. Annual comic book conventions are held in major cities across the U.S. and the world. Many of these conventions are titled—officially or unofficially—“[City]
— Jessica Gutierrez Alm, Attorney
Simon Tam wasn’t the only one barred by the Lanham Act from reclaiming a historically derogatory term.
Dykes on Bikes is a nonprofit lesbian motorcycle organization. According to their website, the group’s mission is to “support philanthropic endeavors in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and women’s communities, and to reach