Significant changes to Canadian trademark law will come into effect on June 17, 2019. These changes will impact businesses and individuals who own Canadian trademark registrations and pending applications, and who are considering new applications in Canada between now and then. Beginning on June 17, 2019, trademark applicants and registrants will have to classify their goods/services according to … Read more
I try hard to share news that is fun and informative. I’m not sure how fun this is, but it’s a must read if you do business with European citizens, and if you own European trademarks. The Impact of GDPR on US Businesses The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was implemented on May 25, 2018. The … Read more
In a May 3, 2018 decision, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board found that gynolocologists are not confusingly similar to rap artists. Draion Burch is a Pennsylvania doctor who goes by the nickname Dr. Drai. He provides obstetrics and gynecology medical services and speaking services, and filed two U.S. trademark applications to register DR. DRAI and DOCTOR DRAI … Read more
Top level domains were originally limited to .com, .net, .org and a few others. In recent years, ICANN has authorized hundreds of new top level domains. In some cases, these prove useful for businesses and brand owners, especially since .com has become so congested. In large part, though, new gTLDs create problems for brand owners, since they create … Read more
After filing an application to register a trademark, you may receive an official-looking document, either by snail mail or e-mail, that calls for the payment of fees. If this document does not come from the United States Trademark Office or your attorney, beware: it is likely a solicitation from an unscrupulous business looking for a … Read more
Tarder Sauce, a/k/a Grumpy Cat, might wear a permanent scowl, but she has reason to be happy today. 710,001 reasons, to be precise. Grumpy Cat soared to fame in 2012, after her photo was posted on Reddit and went viral. Her owner promptly quit her job as a waitress at Red Lobster, and formed a … Read more
It’s hard to believe, but a video made by the legal team at Velcro has gone viral – amassing nearly 300,000 views in less than two days. That means nearly 300,000 people now know about genericide, which is what happens when a brand loses its ability to function as a trademark. ASPIRIN, ESCALATOR, FLIP PHONE, LAUNDROMAT, ZIPPER … Read more
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) Safe Harbor shields certain service providers from liability for copyright infringement committed by third-party users of their services. For example, social media and newspaper sites are generally not liable for copyright infringement by their millions of users. The DMCA notice-and-takedown system allows copyright holders to send notices to service … Read more
In October, the Trademark Office issued amendments to the rules of practice before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB). The TTAB oversees, among other things, trademark opposition and cancellation proceedings. The new rules, set forth in a Notice of Final Rulemaking, are intended to provide for more efficiency and clarity, move the TTAB toward a … Read more
The Trademark Office database is more than a helpful record of brands and businesses. It is also a real-time reflection of cultural and political waves sweeping through America, since would-be entrepreneurs routinely apply to register trademarks in an effort to cash in on fads, memes, jokes, and current events. Donald Trump has dominated the news … Read more
