Archives: Trademark

Sole Relief from the International Trade Commission

By Kimberly M. Maynard on June 29, 2016 Posted in Trademark

On June 23, 2016, the U.S. International Trade Commission (“ITC”) issued a decision in the closely watched Converse proceeding, invalidating one of Converse’s trademarks for its iconic Chuck Taylor shoes and issuing a broad exclusion order prohibiting the import of any shoes that infringe certain of Converse’s other trademarks. The decision highlights the benefits of … Continue Reading

New Changes to European Trademark Prosecution

By Lesley Grossberg on May 31, 2016 Posted in Trademark

As of March 23, 2016, the “Community Trade Mark” (CTM) is going by a new name: the “European Union Trade Mark” (EUTM), reflecting the evolution of the European Community into the European Union. By force of Regulation No. 2015/2424, the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM), the body responsible for administering the European … Continue Reading

Amended PTAB Rules to Take Effect on May 2, 2016

By Charlie Lyu on April 28, 2016 Posted in Patent, Trademark

On May 2, 2016, amended rules governing post-grant proceedings before the Patent and Trial Appeal Board (“PTAB”), including inter partes review (“IPR”), post-grant review (“PGR”), and covered business methods (“CBM”), will take effect. The rules apply to all currently pending and future proceedings before the PTAB. The primary amendments are: Testimonial Evidence Permitted in Patent … Continue Reading

Federal Circuit Holds Trademark Infringement Must Be Willful to Warrant Award of Infringer’s Profits, Highlighting Continuing Circuit Split

By Lesley Grossberg on April 20, 2016 Posted in Trademark

The Federal Circuit, applying Second Circuit trademark law, has weighed in on the issue of whether an infringer’s profits are recoverable absent a finding of willful infringement. In Romag Fasteners, Inc. v. Fossil, Inc. (Fed. Cir. Mar. 31, 2016), a jury had found Fossil liable for patent and trademark infringement of Romag’s magnetic snap fasteners … Continue Reading

In re Tam: Still No Trademark Registration for The Slants

By Nancy R. Frandsen and Lisa Bollinger Gehman on April 5, 2016 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

Fourth Circuit Holds No Use in the U.S. Required to Bring Claims Under the Lanham Act

By Charlie Lyu on March 31, 2016 Posted in Trademark

On March 23, 2016, the Fourth Circuit reversed the district court’s decision in Belmora LLC v. Bayer Consumer Care AG, 84 F. Supp. 3d 490 (E.D. Va. 2015) and remanded the case. The Fourth Circuit held that contrary to the district court’s decision, the plaintiff, Bayer Consumer Care AG (“BCC”), owner of a foreign trademark registration … Continue Reading

TTAB Retreats From Precedential Houndstooth Mafia Decision

By Jacqueline Lesser on March 16, 2016 Posted in Trademark

Trademark proceedings are contentious proceedings, but the battle for registration of the HOUNDSTOOTH MAFIA trademark has been largely overshadowed by the now-ended dispute between the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) and the reviewing U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. After a three-year struggle, the TTAB vacated The Board of Trustees of … Continue Reading