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Increased Fees and Other Changes in USPTO Trademark Filings

By Christine Lebron-Dykeman

On November 18, 2024, the USPTO issued a final rule to increase certain trademark filing fees. The fees will take effect January 18, 2025.  While the per Class fee for filing a standard electronic trademark application has not changed and is still $350 per Class, the USPTO has eliminated the distinction between TEAS Standard and […]

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The Onion Buys Alex Jones’ Infowars in Bankruptcy Auction

By Julie L. Spieker

Yesterday, Global Tetrahedron, the corporation that owns the satirical news website The Onion, was the winning bidder for Alex Jones’ Infowars at a Chapter 7 bankruptcy auction. Jones and Infowars owner Free Speech Systems both filed for bankruptcy in 2022 after eight families impacted by the Sandy Hook shooting won a $1.4 billion defamation award […]

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Beyond the Basics: Leveraging Secondary IP to Protect and Elevate Coffee Shop Branding in a Crowded Market

By Sarah M.D. Luth

In the crowded coffee shop and roastery industry, establishing a unique brand identity is essential to standing out among competitors. While protecting “central” intellectual property (IP) like brand names, logos, and domain names is absolutely critical, strategically identified and maintained “secondary” intellectual property provides a key avenue through which to establish a strong brand identity […]

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Deion Sanders seeks trademark protection related to various phrases

By Joseph M. Hallman

Deion Sanders, a Pro Football Hall of Famer, is currently wrapping up his first season as head coach of the University of Colorado Boulder football team. Head coaches at the highest level of college football regularly face challenges in year one at a new school. This often rang true for Coach Deion Sanders in his […]

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Taco Tuesday Trademark Battle is Over

By Julie L. Spieker

The Gregory Hotel, Inc. in New Jersey –  the last holdout in the Taco Tuesday trademark dispute – has voluntarily surrendered its trademark registration. Last May, Taco Bell filed a petition with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to cancel a trademark for Taco Tuesday that rival chain Taco John’s, and the Gregory Hotel, […]

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Taco Tuesday is for Everyone!

By Julie L. Spieker

Taco John’s has surrendered its Taco Tuesday trademark. As we reported in May, Taco Bell filed a petition with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to cancel a trademark for Taco Tuesday that rival chain Taco John’s had held since 1989. Along with the petition, Taco Bell launched a nationwide public relations campaign for […]

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Taco Tuesday Trademark Tiff Gets Spicy

By Julie L. Spieker

Taco Bell recently launched an ad campaign featuring LeBron James and the censored phrase Taco T***day. In a commercial, Lebron repeatedly attempts to say the phrase “Taco Tuesday,” but the “Tuesday” is consistently bleeped out. He then helpfully explains that there’s a trademark on Taco Tuesday and therefore it cannot be used in a commercial, […]

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Heir to the Throne: Mariah Carey Becomes “Christmas Princess,” Loses Fantasy of Christmas “Queen”

By Sarah M.D. Luth

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has determined that Mariah Carey is officially not the Queen of Christmas. Recently, Carey’s trademark application for “Queen of Christmas” along with the related applications for “QOC” (short for Queen of Christmas) and “Princess Christmas” were rejected by the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the USPTO. The […]

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Public Service Announcement — USPTO Implements New Deadlines to Respond to Office Actions for Trademark Applications and Registrations

By Gregory Lars Gunnerson

As of  Saturday, December 3, 2022, trademark applicants will have three months (with a possible three-month extension) to respond to an Office action issued during the examination of a trademark application at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) instead of the current six months. A similar timeline for responding is already employed by […]

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The Oprah Effect: Podcasters Sued for “Oprahdemics” Brand

By Nicholas J. Krob

“YOU get a car! YOU get a car! YOU get a car!” Kellie Carter Jackson and Leah Wright Rigueur, however, get a lawsuit. Media giant Oprah Winfrey seemingly strayed from her benevolent ways earlier this month when her media company Harpo, Inc. filed a lawsuit against Jackson and Rigueur, as well as Roulette Productions, LLC, […]

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