USPTO to Increase Trademark Fees in 2021

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The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has recently announced increases to certain trademark fees beginning on January 2, 2021. The fees will increase for trademark applications, post-registration maintenance filings, and certain filings with the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB). Below are some of the more significant and noteworthy fee increases: The fee […]

The Verdict is In – Implications on the Supreme Court Ruling Regarding Attorney’s Fees

By Blog Staff

The United States Supreme Court unanimously ruled on December 11, 2019, that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) cannot demand repayment of attorney’s fees in district court proceedings brought under 35 U.S.C. § 145. For a summary of the arguments presented during oral arguments, see the author’s previous post here. The opinion written […]

Jury Orders Mongols Motorcycle Club to Forfeit Trademark

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The Mongols Nation motorcycle club was recently convicted of violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO) resulting in a California federal jury ordering the motorcycle club to forfeit its trademarked logo based on links between the image and the criminal activities carried out by the group. The imagine incorporates the motorcycle club’s […]

Say What You Will About Trademarks

Simon Tam chose to name his band “The Slants” with the intent to reclaim the term and erase the denigrating connotations associated with it. However, he was confronted with the denial of his trademark application based on the disparagement clause of the Lanham Act. This raised an interesting issue of whether the disparagement clause violates […]

The Eagles Sue Hotel California

On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair Warm smell of the courtroom, rising up through the air (sorry) Earlier this week, The Eagles sued a Mexico based hotel, aptly named Hotel California, alleging trademark infringement and unfair competition. The case, filed May 1, 2017, isEagles Ltd v Hotel California Baja LLC et […]

You May Enforce Your Trademark Right Across Border After All

Bayer owns and uses the FLANAX trademark in Mexico to sell a pain reliever product. Neither Bayer nor its sister company in the US registered the FLANAX trademark in the US, but rather use another trademark, ALEVE, to sell the same product here. In 2004 Belmora registered FLANAX in the US for sales of a […]

Political Campaigns & Unauthorized Music

As the presidential caucuses approach so do the opportunities for political candidates to end up in the headlines for using unauthorized music in their campaigns. In nearly every campaign cycle you hear about a recording artist upset that a politician or campaign used the artist’s music without authorization. A list of notable disputes include Bruce […]

Federal Circuit Holds that USPTO Can’t Deny Trademarks as Offensive or Disparaging

On Tuesday, December 22, 2015, the Federal Circuit  held that a portion of § 2(a) of the Lanham Act is unconstitutional in a 10-2 decision. The decision was made in In re Simon Shiao Tam, an appeal from the Trademark Office. Mr. Tam is a member of an Asian American rock band called THE SLANTS. […]

Cancelation of Trademarks due to First Actual Use After Application

Federal registration of a trademark provides a number of benefits to the trademark owner, including protection throughout the entire country, advantageous litigation position—for example presumption of validity and enhanced monetary damages—and enlistment of the U.S. Customs Service to stop importation of counterfeit goods. The federal trademark system provides two separate avenues for protecting a mark: […]

USPTO Cancels Washington, D.C. NFL Franchise’s Trademark Registrations

The United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a decision yesterday cancelling six federal trademark registrations owned by the Washington, D.C. National Football League franchise. The cancellation proceeding was brought by five Native American petitioners on the basis that the marks disparage persons or bring them into contempt or disrepute in violation of 15 U.S.C. […]