Felicia Boyd (US)

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TTAB Confirms Characters Can Be Registered as Trademarks If The Characters Function as Trademarks

By Felicia Boyd (US) on September 11, 2023 Posted in Trademark

In a precedential decision the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“Board”) affirmed a refusal to register a character featured in a video game on the grounds that the proposed design mark failed to function as a trademark. In re Joseph A. Stallard, Serial No. 97115036 (August 28, 2023). In doing so the Board held that … Continue reading

Jack Daniels Finally Has its Day Before the Supreme Court

By Felicia Boyd (US) on March 27, 2023 Posted in Trademark

The United States Supreme Court held oral arguments in connection with a dispute between Jack Daniel’s and VIP Products LLC (“VIP”) over a humorous dog toy which is intended to mimic the label of a Jack Daniel’s whisky bottle. Jack Daniel’s Properties, Inc. v. VIP Products LLC, (22-148) (March 22, 2023). The toy replaces the … Continue reading

Supreme Court Considers the Reach of the Lanham Act Outside of United States

By Felicia Boyd (US) on March 23, 2023 Posted in Trademark

The United States Supreme Court heard arguments on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, on the international limitations, if any, of the Lanham Act. In Abitron Austria GmbH, et al., v. Hetronic International, Inc. (No. 21-1043), the Court heard arguments not only from counsel for the parties, but also the Biden administration, on whether the Lanham Act … Continue reading

A Later-Filed Unattacked Registration Establishes Priority in Board Proceedings

By Felicia Boyd (US) and Nathan Mannebach (US) on March 21, 2023 Posted in Trademark

In a precedential decision, The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB”) refused to reconsider its decision sustaining an opposition to registration of the mark “LOVETTE” on the basis of likelihood of confusion with the mark “NNENNA LOVETTE.” Nkanginieme v. Appleton, 2023 TTAB LEXIS 64 (TTAB Mar. 7, 2023). In its request for reconsideration Applicant, Lovette … Continue reading

TTAB Sustains Opposition Based on Applicant’s Failure to Secure the Consent of a Living Individual

By Felicia Boyd (US) and Kirsten Hash (US) on January 4, 2023 Posted in Intellectual Property, Trademark

Terminal Moraine Inc. (“Applicant” or “Terminal Moraine”) sought registration on the Principal Register of the mark: for the following goods and services: Mystery Ranch, Ltd. (“Mystery Ranch” or “Opposer”) opposed registration of the DANA DESIGN mark based on an alleged false suggestion of a connection with Mystery Ranch and Dana Gleason, Mystery Ranch’s co-owner, under … Continue reading

After Years of Hounding from Jack Daniel’s, Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Bad Spaniels Parody Trademark Case

By Felicia Boyd (US) and Meg Tierney (US) on December 7, 2022 Posted in Trademark

The dispute between Jack Daniel’s and VIP Products LLC (“VIP”) over a parody dog toy continues and will finally proceed to the Supreme Court. The case centers around a parody dog toy sold by VIP that mimics the label of a Jack Daniel’s whisky bottle. The toy replaces the text “Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7” … Continue reading

No Likelihood of Confusion Between “SMOKES & Design” and “SMOK”

By Felicia Boyd (US), Nathan Mannebach (US) and Katie Coopwood (US) on December 2, 2022 Posted in Trademark

The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB”) found that there was no likelihood of confusion between the “SMOKES & Design” mark owned by Fancy Pants Products, LLC (“Applicant”), generally used in connection with cannabis products, and the “SMOK” mark owned by Shenzhen IVPS Technology Co. Ltd (“Opposer”), generally used in connection with electronic cigarettes. Shenzhen … Continue reading

Supreme Court to Examine the Reach of the Lanham Act to Impose Liability on Conduct Outside of the United States

By Felicia Boyd (US) and Tim Kenny (US) on November 29, 2022 Posted in Intellectual Property, Trademark

Sections 32(1)(a) and 43(a)(1)(A) of the Lanham Act impose civil liability on any person who “use[s] in commerce” a trademark in a manner that “is likely to cause confusion, or to cause mistake, or to deceive.” 15 U.S.C. 1114(1)(a); 15 U.S.C. 1125(a)(1). Notably, the Lanham Act defines commerce broadly as “all commerce which may lawfully … Continue reading

NFTs and IP – Your opportunity to comment

By Felicia Boyd (US) and Susan Ross (US) on November 23, 2022 Posted in Copyright, Intellectual Property, Patents, technology and innovation, Trademark

On November 23, 2022, the US Patent and Trademark Office and the US Copyright Office issued a request for public comment on the subject of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and intellectual property rights. Comments are due by Monday, January 9, 2023. In addition, the Offices will offer three public roundtables: one panel on NFTs and patents … Continue reading

“Non-Fungible” Realities – NFTs Enter the USPTO’s Trademark ID Manual

By Felicia Boyd (US) on October 4, 2022 Posted in Trademark

** This article was drafted by Chris R. Andersen, a Senior Paralegal in NRF’s Dallas Office. Chris is supervised by attorneys who are licensed in the State of Texas. Thanks in large part to a Bored Ape the U.S. Trademark Office is trying to help brand owners keep up with the ever-evolving labyrinth of brand … Continue reading

Vans secures temporary restraining order barring promotion and sale of Wavy Baby Shoes

By Kirsten Hash (US) and Felicia Boyd (US) on September 13, 2022 Posted in Brands, Consumer goods, Trademark

In Vans, Inc. v. MSCHF Product Studio, Inc., No. 22CV2156WFKRML, 2022 WL 1446681 (E.D.N.Y. Apr. 29, 2022), shoe company Vans, Inc. (“Vans”) prevailed in obtaining a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against art collective MSCHF Product Studio, Inc. (“MSCHF”), restraining promotion and sale of its WAVY BABY shoes. Vans asserted that the WAVY BABY … Continue reading

CAFC reverses Coca-Cola TTAB win in action involving Indian soda marks

By Felicia Boyd (US) and Nathan Mannebach (US) on August 22, 2022 Posted in General

In Meenaxi Enter. v. Coca-Cola Co., 38 F.4th 1067 (Fed. Cir. 2022) the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (“CAFC”) reversed a Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB”) decision cancelling two registrations for marks identical to those used outside of the US by The Coca-Cola Company (“Coca-Cola”). In doing so, the CAFC held … Continue reading

Modern collegiate trademark and licensing regime may face increased enforcement challenges

By Felicia Boyd (US) and Kaylee A. Sill (US) on August 22, 2022 Posted in Trademark

In The Pennsylvania State University v. Vintage Brand, LLC, 2022 U.S.P.Q.2d 653 (M.D. Pa. 2022 The Pennsylvania State University (“Penn State”) sued Vintage Brand, LLC (“Vintage”), an online retailer of screen-printed goods featuring logos and images, for violations of federal and state trademark and unfair competition laws. Penn State seeks to restrain Vintage from selling … Continue reading

TTAB prohibits the County of Orange from registering unofficial seal and badge designs

By Kaylee A. Sill (US) and Felicia Boyd (US) on August 15, 2022 Posted in Trademark

In a recent precedential decision, the TTAB refused registration of two trademark applications by the County of Orange holding that the marks constituted insignia even though they were not official seals.[1] In 2017, the County of Orange, a political subdivision in the state of California, applied for trademark registration of a circular and badge design … Continue reading

TTAB rules RANCHERO and EL RANCHERO marks confusingly similar

By Kaylee A. Sill (US) and Felicia Boyd (US) on August 10, 2022 Posted in Brands, Trademark

In a non-precedential decision, the TTAB held that use of the word and stylized mark EL RANCHERO for “food products made of corn, namely, corn chips, tortillas and tostadas” were confusingly similar to the word and design marks RANCHERO for “cream” and “Mexican style sausages, namely chorizo and bolita.”[1] The dispute over the “Ranchero” marks … Continue reading

PepsiCo wins appeal over MTN DEW RISE ENERGY trademark dispute

By Kaylee A. Sill (US) and Felicia Boyd (US) on August 10, 2022 Posted in Brands, Consumer goods, Trademark

PepsiCo. Inc. recently convinced the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to throw out a preliminary injunction granted by a New York federal judge last fall that prevented PepsiCo from using MTN DEW RISE ENERGY on its canned energy drinks.[1] In March 2021, PepsiCo launched MTN DEW RISE ENERGY featuring cans with a … Continue reading

Hermès Challenge of “MetaBirkin” NFTs to Continue

By Felicia Boyd (US) and Abida Chaudri on July 18, 2022 Posted in Trademark

In a case that is likely to provide much awaited guidance on the application of trade mark law to non-fungible tokens (NFTs), luxury design house Hermès International and Hermès of Paris, Inc. (Hermès) is suing artist Mason Rothschild in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York for trademark infringement and dilution, … Continue reading

Spotify successfully opposes POTIFY applications based on dilution by blurring

By Felicia Boyd (US) on February 9, 2022 Posted in Brands, Copyright, Intellectual Property, Trademark

In its first precedential decision of 2022, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB”) sustained two oppositions filed by Spotify AB (“Spotify”) against registration of POTIFY for use in connection with an online ordering platform and community for medical and recreational cannabis consumers to connect with legal marijuana retailers. Both oppositions were sustained on Spotify’s … Continue reading

U.S. Supreme Court sides with Google and ends software copyright battle

By Allie Porter (US) and Felicia Boyd (US) on April 14, 2021 Posted in Copyright

The Supreme Court ruled on whether Google’s copying of Oracle's Java SE API program was a protected “fair use” under US copyright law.… Continue reading