Trademark Law

Lady Gaga Threatens Suit re ‘Baby Gaga’ Human Breast Milk Ice Cream Sold at UK Eatery

News reports that a London eatery was selling “Baby Gaga” ice cream made of human breast milk initially sparked health concerns and scrunched-up faces from those to whom the product seemed a bit disgusting. But now the nearly $23 dish sold briefly by the Icecreamists has another objector—Lady Gaga. Not…

Mar 7, 2011 11:36 PM CST

Publisher Asserts ‘SmallLaw’ Trademark, Demands Blog Remove Post or Alter Headline

Last month, the legal blog Lawyerist reported on the creation of two new columns at the blog Above the Law aimed at the small-firm world. Its headline on the post? “Above The Law Goes Small Law.” But within 10 days of that post, Lawyerist received a take-down notice (PDF posted…

Mar 1, 2011 9:35 PM CST

Google Fights to Keep Documents Secret in Trademark Appeal

Google is famous for bringing information to the Internet, but it’s fighting to keep several documents secret in a pending appeal. Language software maker Rosetta Stone appealed to the Richmond, Va.-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after a federal judge ruled for Google in a trademark dispute, Bloomberg reported…

Feb 23, 2011 11:29 AM CST

Subway Sued by Midwest Chain Asserting Right to Advertise Its ‘Footlong’ Sandwiches

A legal dispute in Iowa has some of the trappings of high school: food fights and grammar debates. The legal clash revolves around whether “footlong” is a noun that describes Subway sandwiches or an adjective that can be used to describe any 12-inch sandwich, the Des Moines Register reported. Iowa-based…

Feb 16, 2011 10:54 PM CST

Suit Accuses Coach Inc. of Improper Crackdown on eBay Handbag Sellers

A woman who tried to sell her Coach handbag on eBay is suing the company after its lawyers accused her of selling counterfeit goods and threatened her with a $2 million penalty. Gina Kim says she purchased the $428 handbag with her employee discount when she worked at a Coach…

Feb 11, 2011 5:51 PM CST

Binder & Binder Awarded $292K; Suit Claimed Google Competitor Purloined Its Name

The law firm Binder & Binder has been awarded $292,000 in a trademark infringement suit against a competitor that paid Google to have its ad appear when people searched for the Binder name. U.S. District Judge George King of the Central District of California ruled that the Disability Group Inc.…

Feb 10, 2011 5:23 PM CST

Sarah Palin and Daughter, Bristol, Seek to Trademark Their Names

Former Alaska governor and onetime vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is reportedly seeking to trademark her name. And so is her daughter, Bristol, who has become something of a celebrity in her own right. The move is traditionally unusual for a politician. However, both women have made a name for…

Feb 5, 2011 1:51 AM CST

Facebook Removes ‘Adventists for Life’ Page After Infringement Complaint

Facebook has removed a page for a group calling itself Adventists for Life after the Seventh-Day Adventists claimed trademark infringement. Seventh Day Adventist spokesman Garrett Caldwell told the Washington Post that “Adventist” and “SDA” are trademarked and registered names. “We are working hard to try to protect the name and…

Feb 1, 2011 12:00 PM CST

Lawyer’s Trademarked ‘Court Coach’ Name Is Part of Unbundled Approach

A Connecticut lawyer has a name for her unbundled legal services: Partners-in-Law. Greenwich lawyer Barbara Shea tells NewsTimes.com that Partners-in-Law is a part of her law firm that allows people to represent themselves, with some legal guidance to point them in the right direction. One Norwalk woman, for example, used…

Jan 26, 2011 4:03 PM CST

Manatt Phelps to Pay $25M to Settle Malicious Prosecution Case Over Princess Di Memorabilia

A California law firm found to be too quick on the draw in bringing a big-bucks trademark suit on behalf of the estate of Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales and a memorial fund in her name is now having to pull out its own wallet. With the help of its…

Jan 21, 2011 9:54 PM CST

Artist Claims Bookends Violate His Rights to Balloon Dogs

A lawyer from the Jones Day law firm has dispatched a letter that claims bookends made by a Toronto company too closely resemble a balloon dog sculpture made by artist Jeff Koons. Koons’ balloon dog has been made in two versions; one is 10 feet tall and the other is…

Jan 20, 2011 6:55 PM CST

CAIR’s Suit Accuses Lawyer of Infringement and Vow to ‘Drive the Muslims Crazy’

A Michigan lawyer who sought to incorporate “CAIR Michigan Inc.” is facing a trademark infringement lawsuit that claims she is “stoking Islamophobia” on her website. The suit by the Council on American-Islamic Relations alleges that the articles of incorporation filed by Southland lawyer Debbie Schlussel also registered 17 assumed names,…

Jan 7, 2011 1:31 PM CST

GC’s Inactive Status Doesn’t Nix Attorney-Client Privilege, Judge Says

Gucci America may assert attorney-client privilege for communications with a top in-house lawyer who had taken inactive status, a federal judge had ruled. U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin of Manhattan said Gucci was entitled to assert the privilege based on its reasonable belief that Jonathan Moss was in fact a…

Jan 6, 2011 5:22 PM CST

Virtual Worlds, Real Battles: Trademark Holders Take on Use in Games

The virtual worlds of video games are creating some real-life problems—and court action—for owners of trademarks. In some virtual worlds, players generate their own content for virtual prizes. And like the real world, their avatars prefer Nike, Gucci and Ferrari, camping in corner offices equipped with Herman Miller’s Aeron chairs.…

Jan 1, 2011 7:20 AM CST

Niche Trademark Practice Taps Solo’s Entrepreneurial Genes

Josh Gerben knows a thing or two about running a small business. The Washington, D.C., solo comes from a long line of entrepreneurs, including a great-grandmother who ran a successful bakery and a father who ran a chain of automotive repair shops. Gerben began working early, helping grow the family…

Dec 1, 2010 6:45 AM CST