Does it ever pay to use intellectual property loopholes to save a few bucks? If you wish to remain disentangled from legal action, the answer is likely “No.” This is especially true in a complex area of copyright licensing like live televised events, since there may...
Crystal Broughan, Intellectual Property Attorney
How Not to Lose Your Trademark to Non-Use Abandonment
Do you know what matters more than the registration of your business’s trademark? Its usage. One major way that a business can lose a viable trademark is non-use for a period of three or more years -- it's called trademark non-use abandonment. The USPTO tries to keep...
IP Education: IP Assets & Estate Planning
For many artists, part of the intention for a piece of art is to live beyond its creator. Similarly, inventors and business owners are likely hoping to leave behind some kind of legacy. Yet, surprisingly, many neglect to make a posthumous plan for their works –...
6ix9ine Loses Trademark for His Name, Learns Importance of Responding to Lawsuits
Back in July 2022, rapper Warren Hamilton filed a Notice of Opposition before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) against Daniel Hernandez, who goes by the stage name 6ix9ine. In the Opposition, Hamilton said that he had been using a similar stage name – SIX9...
When “Unofficial” Does Not Excuse Copyright Infringement – Netflix Sues Over Unofficial Bridgerton Musical
If you inject the word “unofficial” into the title of a work, does that save you from copyright infringement troubles? Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, the creators of the wildly successful Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, have been learning about this the hard way in...
Essential IP Knowledge: Trademark Classes
Have you ever wondered how businesses with similar names can legally coexist? Next time you see brands with similar marks, take note of their industry, products, and services. It is very likely that both businesses have registered trademarks – but they are registered...
Is PURPLE RAIN a Nearly Invincible Trademark?
When a business applies to register a trademark, other businesses may oppose the registration of that trademark for various reasons. One motivation for trademark opposition that sticks out in recent news: false suggestion of a connection. NPG Records, LLC and Paisley...
A Lesson in Delayed Trademark Infringement Claims from Gibson Guitars
As we have discussed in previous posts, it is a business’s responsibility to pursue claims of infringement against its copyrights and trademarks – the TTAB will not do it for you. The reasonable hope is that this encourages businesses to make claims that are pragmatic...