A group of performance artists from Baltimore known as “FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture” took advantage of a much anticipated media event to bring attention to the importance of consensual sex. The VS All Access Victoria’s Secret fashion show is an such an event, gluing billions of eyeballs to its prime time telecast. For FORCE, the (...) [Read More]
Mexico becomes third Latin American country to join the Madrid trademark filing system
December 4, 2012
In June I posted about Columbia’s accession to the Madrid Protocol and noted that Mexico was taking steps to follow suit. Late last month Mexico’s Secretary of Economy deposited documents completing the country’s accession to the Madrid Protocol for the International Registration of Marks with the World Intellectual Property Organization, bringing to 89 the total (...) [Read More]
Turning Lemons into Lemonade: How one Trademark Owner Protected its IP and Avoided being Branded a Troll
July 31, 2012
That old saying seldom rings more true than it does with the recent cease and desist letter sent out by Jack Daniel’s. It seems that Patrick Wensink, an author, used a cover for his book that was quite similar to the trademarked label of Jack Daniel’s. Rather than send him a scalding and legalistic attack letter, (...) [Read More]
Jamaica USA, Mon! Seacrets Wins Trademark Infringement, Injunction Against Coryn Group
May 1, 2012
With summer around the corner, it is only natural that our thoughts and attention start to shift to the shore. If you are from Mid-Atlantic, you are likely familiar with Seacrets (http://seacrets.com/), one of Ocean City, Maryland’s premiere entertainment destinations. Seacrets, which has nicknamed itself “Jamaica, USA”, started in 1988 as a single cabana type (...) [Read More]
Trademarks: Mobile phone giant RIM fails to look before it leaps and learns an easy lesson the hard way.
December 30, 2011
With about 8.5 percent of the market, Mac OS is the second most popular general purpose computer operating system behind the Microsoft Windows operating system. Originally launched in 1984, Mac OS has been continuously updated since that time and, as is now customary in the software industry, each major new iteration has been identified with (...) [Read More]
Facebook of Sex — Trademark Infringement or Parody?
October 23, 2011
Facebook has sued Various, Inc., the owner of Penthouse, adultfriendfinder.com and other adult-themed websites, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, for trademark infringement based upon Various’ creation of website called Facebook of Sex with the URL: facebookofsex.com. Various has defended the name and the website saying, among other things, (...) [Read More]
For International Brand Protection Consider Madrid
September 23, 2011
Brand protection in foreign countries is challenging. Just ask Steve Jobs who recently found out from an observant American ex pat that a very convincing knockoff Apple store was selling authentic apple products in Kunming, China. The store billed itself as an official Apple retail store and was so convincing that even the employees believed they (...) [Read More]
