Over the last several years, social network gaming has taken the digital world by storm.  Hit games like FarmVille and Mafia Wars have entirely changed the landscape of the gaming industry, turning traditional one to four-player games into world-wide gaming phenomena with millions of live players interacting in a singular digital space.  However, making these [...]

Facebook Inc. is embroiled in a legal battle with Timelines Inc. over the trademark “Timeline.” Timelines claims that Facebook has infringed on its mark; a jury will decide on April 22. 

Apple Inc. is one of the valuable brands on the planet. Ownership of powerful trademarks such as iPhone, iPad, Mac, and others has made Apple one of the premier intellectual property powerhouses in the world. Recently, however, Apple has been running into a few problems concerning its intellectual property or, in a few cases, lack [...]

This past Valentine’s Day, the famous jewelry corporation, Tiffany & Co., filed a suit against discount warehouse Costco Wholesale alleging that Costco knowingly and intentionally sold counterfeit Tiffany engagement rings.  Tiffany has registered trademarks which include Tiffany, Tiffany & Co., T & Co., and Tiffany Blue Box.  In its complaint, Tiffany and its licensor claim [...]

On March 7, 2013, the USPTO Trial and Appear Board conducted a hearing to consider whether the Redskins should lose trademark protection. At issue is Section 2(a) of the Trademark Act which prohibits marks that “may disparage or falsely suggest a connection with persons, living or dead, institutions, beliefs, or national symbols, or bring them into contempt, or [...]

Some of the most famous buildings outlining the landscapes of city skylines have been trademarked.  The US Patent and Trademark Office has recognized trademarks in such landmarks as the Empire State Building, Grand Central Terminal, the Chrysler Building, the Sears Tower, the Transamerica Building, and most recently, nationwide Apple stores.  Though trademarks are typically considered [...]

(“You Cannot be Serious” is owned by tennis legend John McEnroe.) Early in the 4th quarter of that really important football game last Sunday, Colin Kaepernick scampered into the end zone to cut the Ravens’ lead down to just two points. The 15 yard touchdown run was not only the longest by a quarterback in [...]

Apple has recently been awarded a trademark for its store’s distinctive layout and design. Microsoft trademarked its own retail store design back in 2011.

During the last year, the sports world has experienced a recent uptick in high profile trademark news. Early in 2012, former New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin made headlines when he successfully trademarked the term “Linsanity”, a phrase that was widly associated with his meteoric rise to stardom.  Later that year, NFL sensation (perhaps [...]

When I think of the App Store I think of Apple.  But that comes from my bias as an addicted iPhone user.  If I never gave up my Blackberry, would I still equate the App Store with Apple?  Maybe.  But again, that would likely be attributed to my bias as an addicted MacBook user.  Apple [...]