Category: Trademark

There are some significant changes coming to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) that will affect trademark filings beginning January 18, 2025. These changes include the introduction of the Trademark Center, new fees, and revised application requirements. Here is an overview of the key changes: The USPTO will retire the TEAS system, which […]

Name, image, and likeness (“NIL”) rights have been a “hot” topic lately. However, the focus seems to be on sports celebrities, particularly college and high school sports athletes. However, NIL and publicity rights have always applied to a much broader range of celebrities and personalities. For example, as reported here, musician and rapper Clifford “T.I.” […]

Trademark Class 041 is likely the trademark class to use for trademarking a gamer-tag. Class 009 is often ALSO selected as the Class with which a gamer-tag trademark is associated. Gamer-tags are, of course, similar to usernames required for creating accounts with video gaming and esports platforms. Most gamers use the same gamer-tag across platforms […]

Yes and no. In terms of “yes,” for very specific word usage, a “trademark” refers to a word, logo, design, mark, or something similar that is used with a product — a physical thing. By contrast, a “service mark” is a word, logo, design, symbol, or something similar used with a service — a non-physical […]

As recently reported — see Reuters media report here — the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Trademark Office office has canceled the trademark registrations for a set of “SUPER HERO” trademarks, at least one of which dates to the mid-1960s. According to the media reports, these trademarks are jointly owned by the […]

Trademark creation and use are both essential for the success of modern businesses. Trademarks are logos, words, phrases, designs, marks, and other things that consumers use to identify a business as the commercial source for goods or services. Trademarks are generally registered and can be valid for as long as the trademark is being used […]

Trademarks are logos, phrases, words, marks, designs, and other things that are placed on products, websites, advertising, etc., that identify a commercial source for goods or services. Current marketing lingo speaks in terms of “branding,” and, in essence, branding is all about trademarking. In turn, trademarking begins with getting the trademark registered either at the […]

Trademarking is an essential component of modern branding strategies. Put another way, “branding” is about trademarking. One key aspect of branding is the consistent use of a brand/trademark across social media platforms (like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, X, personal websites, and more). Influencers spend enormous effort using a unique brand name or concept across multiple platforms. […]

Generally, the answer is no. Registering a trademark in the United States does not mean that your trademark is registered in foreign countries. Foreign countries do not recognize U.S. registrations and require that trademarks be registered under their trademark laws and procedures. That being said, in some countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and […]

If you or your business has filed an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) to register a trademark, at some point in the review process, you might receive an “Office Action” from the examining attorney. An “office action” sounds mysterious, but an office action is simply a formal communication — a […]