Intellectual Property Blog

Vidal v Elster Activity

Can you diss someone by name in a trademark application? Nope. See Vidal v Elster (aka the "TRUMP TOO SMALL" case). See also, the "names clause" in trademark law, which is prohibition on the registration of a mark that “[c]onsists of or comprises a name . . ....

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Nealy Copyright Case

When does a copyright claim begin? When the victim discovers the infringement? Or when the violator began making money from the infringing act? In the 1980s, independent music producer Sherman Nealy and business partner Tony Butler, through Nealy’s label Music...

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In House IP Counsel

In-House Counsel and IP Patent Protection Many companies, whether they specialize in intellectual property or only think about the occasional trademark or copyright seldom think in terms of leveraging their IP into part of the company’s income portfolio. Part of this...

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Patent Infringement Royalties

Pursuit of Profits: Seeking Restitution in Patent Infringement Cases Thanks to recent rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court, and the rise of opportunists known as “patent assertion entities,” or more commonly, “patent trolls,” patent litigation has become less reliable...

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FTC Final Rule re Non Competes

On April 23, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a final rule on noncompete agreements. The final rule, which goes into effect within 120 days (August 2024), is intended to promote competition and increase wages by banning noncompete agreements nationwide....

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