The body of law drawn from the precedents set by earlier decisions.
“Reverse trademark confusion” infringement theory suffices for liability but does not support recovery of infringer’s profits. The U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago has affirmed a Wisconsin federal jury’s verdict finding that defendant JFTCO, Inc. (“JFTCO”) infringed the registered FABICK trademark owned by plaintiff Fabick, Inc. (“FI”). The court also affirmed two district court rulings…
There was no evidence that the firm’s marks achieved secondary meaning, and the same marks were being used as trademarks as well as service marks in the advertising space. Plaintiffs and Appellants Engage Healthcare Communications, L.L.C., Greenhill Healthcare Communications, L.L.C. and Center of Excellence Media, L.L.C. (“Engage”) lost their appeal of an order granting summary…
The attorney was unable to show that the USPTO’s decision was arbitrary or capricious. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed a decision to dismiss an attorney’s challenge of his bar license suspension as the attorney’s procedural and substantive challenges to the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s disciplinary proceeding were rejected…
Because the contract did not give a popcorn manufacturer a perpetual license to sell popcorn under the Mrs. Fields trademark, the manufacturer should not have been granted a preliminary injunction ordering Mrs. Fields to comply with the contract terms. A popcorn manufacturer did not establish a strong likelihood that it will prevail on its claim…
As we all know, the EUTM Regulation 2017/1001 now requires the applicant to indicate the goods and services for which the protection of the trademark is sought with sufficient clarity and precision to enable the competent authorities and economic operators, on that sole basis, to determine the extent of the protection sought. But what if…
The New York Oneidas lacked standing to challenge the Interior Department’s approval of the Wisconsin Oneidas’ request to change its name to “Oneida Nation,” despite the Wisconsin tribe’s initiation of USPTO trademark cancellation proceedings against the New York tribe. Following the initiation of trademark cancellation proceedings brought before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board by…
On 14th October 2019 the Italian authorities seized approximately 250 tubes of Prosecco and Pink Peppercorn flavoured Pringles crisps from supermarket chain Tosano in the Veneto region of Northeastern Italy. The ‘administrative seizure’ was ordered on the basis that the name Prosecco – which is protected as Designation of Origin (PDO) under EU Regulation 1308/2013 –…
On 16 October 2019, the long-awaited opinion of Advocate General Tanchev was handed down in the case of Sky Plc & Ots v SkyKick UK Ltd & Anr (Case C-371/18). The opinion is couched in terms of public importance and redressing the balance between the monopolistic nature of trade mark rights and the importance of…
Single display of trademark on race car and jumpsuit did not establish intent to use the mark for the registered product. In a non-precedential decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has affirmed a decision of the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) that the mark FUSION had been abandoned by Brazil-based…
The German manufacturer’s participation in tradeshows in Colorado was “by chance” and did not indicate “purposeful availment” of the forum state, and its efforts to enforce its asserted trade dress occurred outside Colorado. A German company that manufactured ceramic components of medical prostheses was not subject to personal jurisdiction in Colorado, with regard to a…
