RECENT ARTICLES
What is a “Merely Descriptive” Trademark?
November 6, 2017
Picking a strong mark to represent your business can be surprisingly challenging, especially for young businesses trying to establish themselves in the market. The popular thinking seems to be that...
6 Common Reasons for Trademark Registration Refusal
August 23, 2017
Trademark registration in the U.S. can be a tricky thing. For one thing, unlike in most countries, trademark registration here is not actually a requirement to enjoying rights in the...
5 Small Businesses Intellectual Property Tips
November 21, 2016
For most small businesses, the two most valuable considerations are of course time and money. Which is why many of them often fail to appreciate the importance of intellectual property...
The Curious Trademark History of Sriracha Sauce
May 12, 2016
Is it “Sriracha” or “sriracha”? The capitalization, or lack thereof, actually carries some surprisingly potentially massive implications. According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the correct rendering would...
How Important is Copyrighting Your Website?
December 20, 2015
Most people—layman and businessman alike—know the vague contours of what “copyright” means in the U.S. It’s something that protects original works, like books and music, and it’s often accompanied by...
The Washington Pandas: Trademark Squatting in the D.C. Area
June 3, 2015
These days, the name of Washington D.C.’s professional football team is generally viewed as offensive and in need of change. It is quite difficult to find someone (who is not...
One More Battle in the Apple-Samsung War
May 21, 2015
This past Monday, another brick was laid in the seemingly neverending path of the Apple v. Samsung litigation. In short, although the lower court awarded Apple a sum of $930M...
Michael Jordan’s Newest Chinese Trademark Woes
May 18, 2015
Michael Jordan has become the latest trademark “victim” of the Chinese intellectual property regime. The next stop for the former Chicago Bulls superstar and current Charlotte Hornets owner is China’s...
The Fact-Specific Mess of Secondary Meaning in Trademark Law
May 11, 2015
Trademark protection in the U.S. requires three things: that the mark be distinctive; that the mark be nonfunctional; and that the mark be used in commerce. Obviously, there’s a lot...
Land Rover vs. Landwind: China's Copycat Cars Strike Again
April 23, 2015
The Western world complaining about China’s intellectual property (IP) regime is nothing new. Which is probably why few are surprised that another dispute between a Chinese company and a European...