Photographer sues Philadelphia DA, says he used copyrighted picture as Twitter wallpaper

When photographer R. Bradley Maule saw one of his pictures on the personal Twitter page for Philadelphia’s district attorney, R. Seth Williams, he says, his first move was simply to complain. But after Williams repeatedly failed to take down the copyrighted image, a 2005 skyline photo of the city that…

Aug 1, 2013 7:05 PM CDT

First Amendment doesn’t protect video game maker for using athlete avatar, 9th Circuit says

A federal appeals court is allowing a former college athlete to pursue a right-of-publicity lawsuit against a video game maker that used an avatar with his jersey number and looks. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that the company, Electronic Arts Inc., was not protected by…

Aug 1, 2013 1:17 PM CDT

Porn studio settles suit over titles taking liberties with Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavors

A pornography studio has agreed to stop selling its “Ben & Cherry’s porn series after ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s claimed trademark infringement. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan of Manhattan approved a consent judgment in the case Monday, Reuters and Bloomberg News report. Titles in the DVD series included…

Aug 1, 2013 11:05 AM CDT

EU court ruling allows American brewer to pursue European trademarks

Jul 1, 2013 9:20 AM CDT

Hearsay: July 2013

Jul 1, 2013 8:50 AM CDT

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office adopts ethics guidelines that closely follow the ABA Model Rules

Jul 1, 2013 8:10 AM CDT

New video series looks behind the scenes of innovation at inspiring inventors

May 1, 2013 9:20 AM CDT

Judge puts the brakes on law firm’s suit over similar domain name, says bad faith not yet shown

A New York legal boutique known for its expertise in counterfeiting and cybersquatting cases is experiencing a frustrating delay in obtaining a relief against a Canadian computer programmer who they allege set up a website with a name almost identical to the law firm’s. Although GIOCONDOLAW.com is easily confused with…

Apr 30, 2013 9:03 PM CDT

Can ‘Boston Strong’ be trademarked? Two applicants hope the answer is yes

Two applicants are seeking to trademark the “Boston Strong” motto that became a popular rallying cry after the Boston Marathon bombings. A Massachusetts T-shirt company called Born Into It and an individual, Kerim Senkal, of Allston, Mass., sought trademark rights in registrations filed on April 17, the Huffington Post reports.…

Apr 24, 2013 12:32 PM CDT

5 trademark lawyers exit Finnegan Henderson to form own firm

Five lawyers are exiting Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner to form their own firm. They include David Kelly, who formerly served as a trademark practice group leader for the 350-attorney Washington, D.C., intellectual property boutique, three other partners and a counsel, Reuters reports. The split is apparently amicable–managing partner…

Apr 15, 2013 3:53 PM CDT

Maker of Tommy Guns Vodka faces infringement suit

A liquor company that makes Tommy Guns Vodka is facing a lawsuit claiming it is infringing the trademark held by a gun maker’s corporate owner. The vodka is sold in a 19-inch bottle shaped like Tommy guns, the popular name for the submachine gun used by Chicago gangsters, the Chicago…

Apr 5, 2013 11:00 AM CDT

Judge refuses to toss infringement lawsuit against Facebook over its timeline feature

A federal judge in Chicago has refused to dismiss a lawsuit claiming that Facebook infringed another company’s trademarks with its timeline feature. U.S. District Judge John Darrah ruled that Facebook failed to prove the trademarks were generic, report IDG News Service, Bloomberg News and Mashable. Timelines Inc. filed the suit…

Apr 2, 2013 4:00 PM CDT

Law firm can’t sue Better Business Bureau for ‘F’ grade under Lanham Act, federal judge rules

A law firm that says it lost clients over disparaging reviews published by the Better Business Bureau of Central Florida Inc. lacks a basis for filing suit under the Lanham Act, a federal judge in Orlando has ruled. Because the BBB is not a competitor of the plaintiff, Kaufman, Englett…

Feb 20, 2013 8:22 PM CST

Rock icon Chubby Checker files $500 million suit over raunchy smartphone app

Singer Chubby Checker has filed a trademark infringement suit seeking $500 million in damages from the makers of a smartphone app called “The Chubby Checker,” which claimed an ability to estimate the size of a man’s penis by using his shoe size, the Associated Press reported. The Palm OS app,…

Feb 15, 2013 6:08 PM CST

Tiffany suit alleges Costco co-opted the jeweler’s name in ring sales

A trademark lawsuit filed by Tiffany on Valentine’s Day claims Costco was falsely promoting engagement rings in its stores with the jeweler’s name. The suit, filed in federal court in Manhattan, claims Costco salespersons were referring to “Tiffany” engagement rings, report Reuters and the New York Times. “Tiffany has never…

Feb 15, 2013 12:25 PM CST