Bottoms Up, Litigation Down: Microbrewers Forsake Litigation, Opt for Collaborative Blend

Aug 1, 2011 8:00 AM CDT

Free for All: Urban Homestead Service Mark Spurs Trademark Scuffle

Aug 1, 2011 7:50 AM CDT

Lawyer for YSL Points to Oz’s Dorothy in Red-Soled Shoe Case; Louboutin Injunction Unresolved

Can designer Christian Louboutin trademark a color? That essentially is the question in a hard-fought federal case over competing red-soled women’s shoes made by Louboutin and Yves St. Laurent. Argued Friday in the Southern District of New York, it hasn’t yet resulted in a ruling on the preliminary injunction sought…

Jul 25, 2011 10:44 PM CDT

Viatical Company Drops Suit Against ‘Twittersquatter’

A company that sued a so-called Twittersquatter for using its name to post sarcastic tweets has dropped its legal effort. Coventry First dropped the suit late Tuesday, according to Public Citizen’s Consumer Law & Policy Blog. Public Citizen had defended the anonymous person who used the @coventryfirst handle. (The author…

Jul 14, 2011 10:29 AM CDT

Europe’s Top Court Says eBay Could Be Liable in Sales of Counterfeit Goods

Europe’s top court has ruled that online auction sites such as eBay could be liable for trademark infringement if they actively promote counterfeit goods. The court ruled after L’Oreal alleged in a series of suits that eBay was liable for selling counterfeit goods and imported L’Oreal products not intended for…

Jul 12, 2011 11:31 AM CDT

Some Designers Say Their Work Deserves Copyright Protection; Others Say It Would Harm the Industry

Jul 1, 2011 9:30 AM CDT

Mongols Gang Can Keep Their Logo, Says Judge

Federal prosecutors lost their bid to seek control of a California biker gang’s name and logo, featuring a Genghis Khan-like figure riding a motorcycle. In a ruling made public today, U.S. District Judge Otis Wright of Los Angeles stated that he’s ruled in favor of the Mongols because the gang…

Jun 30, 2011 7:24 PM CDT

NBA Star Sues to Keep Ex-Fiancee Off of ‘Basketball Wives’ Reality Show

Orlando Magic basketball player Gilbert Arenas filed a federal lawsuit in Los Angeles on Monday to try to prevent his ex-fiancée from appearing in the upcoming reality series Basketball Wives: LA. In the suit, Arenas accuses Laura Govan and Shed Media US of trademark infringement, false advertising and misappropriation of…

Jun 27, 2011 7:13 PM CDT

Why the Government May End Up Owning a Motorcycle Gang Logo

The former president of the Mongols motorcycle gang, Ruben “Doc” Cavazos, trademarked its logo before pleading guilty to a racketeering conspiracy. Now the government is seeking ownership of the logo and the motorcycle club name, report the Los Angeles Times and City News Service. On Monday, prosecutors asked U.S. District…

Jun 21, 2011 1:02 PM CDT

‘Twittersquatter’ Sued by Company Targeted in Sarcastic Tweets

A company that buys life insurance policies and resells them to investors has sued a so-called Twittersquatter that used its name in sarcastic posts cheering mass disasters. Coventry First has filed a John Doe lawsuit against the person writing under the Twitter handle @conventryfirst, report PaidContent.org and Reuters. The complaint,…

Jun 14, 2011 11:00 AM CDT

Law Firms in Trademark Battle over ‘Employment Law Group’ Name

A law firm calling itself The Najjar Employment Law Group of Andover, Mass., has filed a declaratory judgment action that claims its name does not infringe the trademark of another law firm. The Najjar Employment Law Group filed its complaint in Massachusetts federal court after getting a cease and desist…

Jun 13, 2011 12:58 PM CDT

Law Firm Not Liable for Purchasing Competitor’s Name as Keyword to Drive Traffic to Own Website

Once upon a time, when bus benches and the yellow pages offered some of the only ways to promote a personal injury firm effectively, competitors tried to crowd each other out or dominate the space with the biggest ad. It wasn’t unheard-of to put a billboard up right next to…

Jun 9, 2011 3:07 AM CDT

Facebook Sues Adult Internet Companies Promoting Their ‘Face Book of Sex’

Facebook has sued several affiliated Internet companies for using the phrase “Face Book of Sex” to promote their adult networking service. The federal suit names as a defendant Various Inc. and three subsidiaries. Filed in the Northern District of California, the complaint says the defendants operate Facebookofsex.com and affiliated websites…

May 23, 2011 10:30 AM CDT

Teen Who Amassed Twitter Followers Claims Business Partner Stole Branding Rights

A teen who amassed more than 300,000 Twitter followers in less than a year claims in a federal lawsuit that his business partner deceived him into turning over his intellectual property. The 17-year-old teen, Adorian Deck, tweeted celebrity gossip and oddball news under the name @OMGFacts, the Associated Press reports.…

May 17, 2011 10:30 AM CDT

Famed NY Deli Sues re Coronary-Causing Cuisine, Says Ariz Upstart Doesn’t Control High-Cal Schtick

After receiving a cease-and-desist letter from an Arizona eatery that specializes in food that has a “taste worth dying for,” the owners of a famous New York deli decided that the Heart Attack Grill had a lot of chutzpah to complain about their Triple Bypass Sandwich. They have now filed…

May 11, 2011 12:51 AM CDT