One reason individuals and businesses register their trademarks before or shortly after they begin using the trademarked content commercially is that registration provides legal protection from other parties trying to benefit financially from the trademark owner’s ideas without their consent. Legal remedies available to the trademark owner include bringing the issue before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) of the United States Patent and Trademark Office and filing a lawsuit in civil court. » Read More

One of the past year’s most important U.S. copyright bills, the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act of 2020 (the CASE Act) was passed in December. It establishes an administrative tribunal process for copyright claims of up to $30,000. Though targeted to small parties, larger businesses that own massive amounts of copyrightable content will also benefit. » Read More

Both in market research and in trademark infringement litigation, trademark surveys can be a useful way to determine how recognizable a product or its packaging is to the public, as well as whether two products are so similar that members of their target audience confuse them. » Read More

In December, the Trademark Modernization Act of 2020 (“TMA”) was signed into law. A bipartisan bill, the TMA contains several important trademark law reforms, including clarification of the burden that parties must satisfy to obtain an injunction in an infringement claim. » Read More

Utility patents protect ideas and inventions, design patents protect the ornamental aspects of a product, and trademarks protect the exclusive consumer association with your company that your brands, logos, or designs evoke. Despite the differences in these types of intellectual property (“IP”), lawsuits involving patents and trademarks have striking similarities and crucial differences. » Read More