Digital, General, Technology

NFTs and Trademarks: Gerben’s Complete Guide

How intellectual property is relevant to NFTs NFTs have exploded in recent years and many questions are emerging around how trademarks can be used as a strategy to protect NFT brands. We’ve completed this guide to help NFT users navigate through the trademark waters. What is a trademark? Federally registered trademark protection is always important when it comes to protecting […]

Digital, In The News

Arizona State University Files Seven Metaverse-Related Trademark Applications

America’s biggest universities are starting to make plans for the metaverse and Web3. In June, Arizona State University filed seven new trademark applications, which claim the school will soon begin offering: NFTs of event tickets. NFTs of campus landmarks and scenery. NFTs of sports highlights (video and audio). “Virtual goods” such as clothing that can be worn in virtual environments. […]

Government, In The News

USPTO ‘Oversight’ Discloses 21,000+ Email Addresses

I have a “heads up” for anyone that has filed a trademark application recently: In a completely unforced error, the United States Patent & Trademark Office may have just exposed your email address to scammers. If you receive an email related to your trademark (that is not from the attorney who filed your application), be very suspicious of it and forward […]

In The News, Sports

Selecting Strong Trademarks: Breaking Down Lamar Jackson’s Recent Trademark Filings

Recent trademark filings made by Lamar Jackson (the star quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens) provide a great lesson in how to select unique trademarks. On May 13, 2022, Jackson filed two trademarks for a new restaurant that he plans to open. The first filing is for the name of his restaurant: “PLAY ACTION” The second filing is for the restaurant’s slogan: “YOU […]

In The News, International

Trademark and Patent Rights are Under Threat in Russia

The United States and other Western nations imposed harsh economic sanctions against Russia in response to its brutal invasion of Ukraine. Those sanctions have dealt a serious blow to the Russian economy, but ripple effects are now being felt by foreign companies that have patents, trademarks, or other intellectual property in Russia. Russia has begun to take steps to make […]

Digital, In The News

Metaverse Trademarks: A Guide to Notable Filings

Major brands are beginning to prepare for the metaverse. In the past few months, hundreds of trademark filings have been made to protect iconic brands in this new digital frontier. I recently spoke to AdAge about how trademark filings for the metaverse were not even on my radar until late in 2021.  Nowadays, I talk to clients almost daily about […]

In The News, Sports

How the Washington Football Team is Likely Securing a Trademark for its New Team Name

One of the most talked about sports topic these days is surrounding the upcoming reveal of Washington Football Team’s new name in early February. While everyone speculates as to what the new name will be, what we can agree on is that it’s likely that the team has already filed a trademark application for its new name. The question is where […]

Digital, In The News

Facebook Files Trademark Application for New “Meta” Logo

Facebook has filed its first “META” trademark application. The filing was made with the USPTO on October 28th, the same day that Mark Zuckerberg announced Facebook would change its name to META. The Zuckerberg announcement came after weeks of speculation about what new name Facebook would select for its parent company.  In mid-October, Facebook Inc. announced that it would be changing […]

In The News, Pop Culture

LuLaRoe, LuLaRich, or LuLaLawsuit? Amazon Docuseries on LuLaRoe Highlights Needs for Copyright Diligence

The new Amazon Prime docuseries “LuLaRich” shined an unflattering spotlight on LuLaRoe’s business practices and its vast teams of independent fashion retailers, highlighting the pressures of a growing company to meet near-impossible market demands. LuLaRoe has faced multiple copyright infringement lawsuits, which allege that the clothing company’s race to create enabled its designers to steal other artists’ work. What is LuLaRoe? […]

Food & Beverage, In The News

Grubhub Sues Home Chef in Trademark Dispute

Grubhub and Home Chef are engaged in a trademark battle over their logos. According to a lawsuit filed by Grubhub on October 6, Home Chef sent a demand letter claiming that Grubhub’s new logo was too similar to the logo used by Home Chef. In response, Grubhub filed this lawsuit seeking a declaratory judgment against Home Chef that the two logos […]

Classes, Education, Food & Beverage

What Does Class 30 Cover in a Trademark Application?

When you complete a trademark application with the USPTO, you’ll be asked to select from a list of 45 trademark classes, 34 for goods and 11 for services. Every good or service you plan to offer should fall under one of these classes, but it can be challenging to select the right classes for your brand. Trademark Class 30 is one […]

Government, In The News, The Basics, Trademark Protection

The USPTO Trademarks Its Name and Logo

The USPTO has been in existence (in some form) since 1802 and it is only now getting around to registering its own trademarks. So why has the USPTO decided to protect their marks this late in the game? Trademark Scammers are Becoming More Sophisticated As we previously reported in this blog post, trademark scammers are popping up everywhere and they’ve […]

Back to top