Author Archive

Sep 2010 16

“Jersey Shore” Cast Members Find Themselves in a Trademark “Situation”

Oh my.  Both Snooki and “The Situation” find themselves trademarkless.  Makes you wonder if they know what a trademark full search is? 
Nicole Polizzi aka “Snooki” attempted to register her name in August for “books, namely printed matter” but found her application was denied on the basis of “likelihood of confusion” by the United States Patent …

Aug 2010 26

Material Girls Need to Understand Trademarks Too…

Madonna! Madonna! Madonna!  What makes you think you are so special that you don’t have to observe trademark rights here in the United States?  She might need to take a HOLIDAAAY….
 
Earlier this week, Madonna was sued by apparel manufacturer L.A. Triumph of Cerritos, CA over the use of the name “Material Girl” for her new …

Jul 2010 27

Giddy Up! The Naked Cowboy Takes on the Naked Cowgirl

Robert Burck, also known as The Naked Cowboy, is suing comedian/stripper Sandy Kane in Federal court for devaluing his brand and icon by calling herself “The Naked Cowgirl”.  Sandy Kane has taken up residence in The Naked Cowboy’s territory and is “confusing tourists and destroying his brand.”  In case you aren’t familiar with him, the …

Jul 2010 22

Porsche? Is Nissan a Substitute?

You may be familiar with the tagline “Porsche. There is no substitute” from the movie Risky Business with Tom Cruise.  Nissan apparently is of the opinion that there is a definite alternative!  They recently ran an ad at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the United Kingdom taking on several of the German car manufacturers.  …

Jun 2010 25

Social Media Usernames – The Hot New Frontier

Back in the day, I counseled clients and friends that they needed to make sure to register their domain names prior applying the trademark.  There are unscrupulous characters that monitor trademark filings and then seek to register the corresponding domain names for your new brand – before you get the chance!
People are now flocking to …

Jun 2010 03

Competitive Intelligence – Sneaky Uses of Trademark Filings!

I’m a self-confessed car nut.  I am the only daughter of a man who lives and breathes automobiles.   And I’m also a very curious person by nature!  This all coupled with my love of trademarks has led to some interesting research over the years.
You can actually use trademark application filings to do competitive intelligence searching.  Did …

May 2010 13

Tips to Protect Your Trademarks!

Trademarks are everywhere.  Look at your watch, phone, shoes, computer – all of these have a trademark associated with them.  A trademark identifies and distinguishes a specific product or service from others in the marketplace.  And did you know that many different things can BE trademarked – logos, package shapes, smells, colors, and even sounds?
So …