Lisa Bollinger Gehman

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Decentralized Domains: Metaverse Land Grab

Photo of Lisa Bollinger GehmanPhoto of Kevin WallacePhoto of Deborah A. WilcoxBy Lisa Bollinger Gehman, Kevin Wallace and Deborah A. Wilcox on Posted in Trademark
As the metaverse continues to become a more established marketplace, and consumers become more familiar with non-fungible tokens (NFTs), NFT marketplaces, decentralized domains, bitcoin, crypto wallets and the blockchain, it is no surprise that intellectual property (IP) owners are starting to see an increase in unauthorized uses of their trademarks and copyrights. There is a … Continue Reading

USPTO Sanctions Chinese Law Firm for Fraud and Terminates More Than 15,000 US Trademark Applications

Photo of Lisa Bollinger GehmanBy Lisa Bollinger Gehman on Posted in Trademark, USPTO, USPTO Litigation
On Dec. 10, 2021, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a precedential Final Order for Sanctions against Chinese practitioner and law firm Yusha Zhang and Shenzhen Huanyee Intellectual Property Co., Ltd. for filing more than 15,000 applications and other submissions that were deemed fraudulent. The USPTO described the mass filings as “[a] scheme … Continue Reading

Proposed Fast-Track Copyright Registration Option for Small Claims

Photo of Lisa Bollinger GehmanPhoto of Deborah A. WilcoxBy Lisa Bollinger Gehman and Deborah A. Wilcox on Posted in Copyright
The U.S. Copyright Office has proposed a fast-track copyright registration option[1] for small claims to be brought before the Copyright Claims Board (CCB). Congress recently created the CCB under the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement (CASE) Act[2] to address the challenges and costs of federal litigation. The CCB must be operational by December 27, 2021 … Continue Reading

Fast-Track Examination for COVID-19-Related Trademarks and Service Marks

Photo of Lisa Bollinger GehmanBy Lisa Bollinger Gehman on Posted in Trademark
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a notice on June 12 announcing a new, accelerated examination program for certain COVID-19-related trademark applications. The USPTO will begin accepting petitions for fast-track examination on June 16, 2020. This is great news for those developing and researching new products to help combat COVID-19. Applications are typically … Continue Reading

Takedown Tips for Brands Battling Unauthorized Distribution During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Photo of Lisa Bollinger GehmanBy Lisa Bollinger Gehman on Posted in E-commerce
The hair salons are closed – now what? During this COVID-19 pandemic, many consumers are resorting to buying hair care products online, including products such as permanent hair colorants that are designed solely for use by licensed cosmetologists. Brands should monitor e-commerce sites for the unauthorized distribution of their salon-only products that are being dumped … Continue Reading

U.S. Supreme Court Rules That Sovereign Immunity Shields States From Copyright Suits

Photo of Lisa Bollinger GehmanBy Lisa Bollinger Gehman on Posted in Copyright
On March 23, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its first of three anticipated copyright decisions for this term – Allen v. Cooper – in which the Court unanimously held that states are shielded from copyright suits by sovereign immunity. Thus, the plaintiff filmmaker did not prevail in his copyright infringement suit against the state of … Continue Reading

In re Tam: Still No Trademark Registration for The Slants

Photo of Nancy R. FrandsenPhoto of Lisa Bollinger GehmanBy Nancy R. Frandsen and Lisa Bollinger Gehman on Posted in Federal Circuit, Trademark
In the continuing saga of whether Section 2(a) of the Lanham Act is unconstitutional because it violates the First Amendment, the rock band The Slants will have to wait a little longer before it knows whether it can register its trademark THE SLANTS. The Slants, a band composed of Asian-American musicians, has received a significant … Continue Reading
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