IHOP Sues International House of Prayer

The International House of Pancakes has sued the International House of Prayer, claiming the church’s acronym infringes IHOP trademarks. The church, which helps parishioners prepare for “end times,” was established in Kansas City, Mo., 10 years ago, the Kansas City Star reports. Patrick Lenow, a spokesman for the restaurant chain,…

Sep 16, 2010 2:23 PM CDT

‘Jersey Shore’ Stars Have Trouble Trademarking their Nicknames

Cast members of Jersey Shore encountered some roadblocks when they tried to trademark their nicknames with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, but Mike “the Situation” Sorrentino has had better luck with efforts to protect the phrase “Situation Nation.” The Washington Post blog The Reliable Source tracked down the star’s…

Sep 8, 2010 12:07 PM CDT

Warner Brothers Sues Over ‘Pink, Pimpled Prophylactic’

A lawyer for condom maker Magic X doesn’t see why Warner Brothers is suing over its Harry Popper condoms. “Our product has nothing to do with Harry Potter,” the unidentified lawyer tells the Daily Telegraph. The Harry Popper packaging depicts a bespectacled condom and violates Warner Brothers’ copyright, the suit…

Aug 20, 2010 1:56 PM CDT

Best Buy Sends Cease-and-Desist Letter to ‘God Squad’ Priest

A Wisconsin priest who drives a Volkswagen Beetle with a “God Squad” logo has gotten a cease-and-desist letter from Best Buy. The letter informs Father Luke Strand at the Holy Family Parish in Fond Du Lac that his logo too closely resembles Best Buy’s trademarked Geek Squad logo, according to…

Aug 16, 2010 2:00 PM CDT

New Fashion Law Institute Sews Up Legal Niche

Fashion is serious business. Just ask Susan Scafidi, who next month will help Fordham University open its Fashion Law Institute, a first in legal academia. Scafidi, who blogs at Counterfeit Chic, has developed a niche focusing on fashion-related legal issues and pushing for intellectual property protections for designers who are…

Aug 12, 2010 6:40 PM CDT

Seyfarth Lawyer Warns Take-Out Stand About ‘Lizard-Like’ Monsters

Lawyers for a Japanese company are warning a Maine food stand named Grill Zilla BBQ that it needs to drop its big, green mascot attired in a red apron. Grill Zilla BBQ operates out of old Frito-Lay delivery truck, the Kennebec Journal reports. So far its owners aren’t budging. The…

Aug 9, 2010 3:36 PM CDT

Mark Trail

Online companies get a bye on using trademarks

Aug 1, 2010 5:09 AM CDT

Is There Acapulco Gold in Pot Trademarks? Applications Are High

A decision by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to create a category for medical marijuana has fired up companies seeking protection for their product and business names. Soft drink makers want to trademark Canna Cola and Keef Cola, the Wall Street Journal reports. Companies seek to protect the names…

Jul 19, 2010 4:11 PM CDT

Nonlawyer Bests Toyota’s Counsel in 9th Circuit Trademark Case

Lisa Tabari is not a lawyer. But she took on an auto giant’s corporate lawyers in a trademark dispute and won. A federal appeals court Thursday lifted an injunction barring Tabari and her husband, Farzad, from using the word Lexus in a family-owned business that specializes in connecting would-be Lexus…

Jul 9, 2010 5:00 PM CDT

The Value of Strategic Counsel

Jul 1, 2010 10:10 AM CDT

Gucci’s Perceptions About Inactive-Status GC Don’t Help Privilege Claim

Gucci America’s mistaken belief that its former top lawyer had an active license to practice law isn’t enough to shield documents from discovery based on attorney-client privilege, a magistrate judge has ruled. Magistrate Judge James Cott of New York City denied Gucci’s motion for a protective order Tuesday, the New…

Jun 30, 2010 12:09 PM CDT

What’s In a Name? Big Legal Fees for Small Cos. That Don’t Do Due Diligence

A small entrepreneur may not give much thought, before starting a small business, to legal issues concerning its name. But selecting one that’s already in use, or even too similar to another company’s moniker, can be costly. Defending a trademark case can easily cost tens of thousands of dollars. Avoiding…

Jun 25, 2010 9:35 PM CDT

Pork Producers Send Cease-and-Desist Letter Over Unicorn Meat Offer

Pork producers have no sense of humor when it comes to a claim that unicorn is “the other white meat.” A tongue-in-cheek April 1 online ThinkGeek ad for the fictitious product elicited a cease-and-desist letter from the National Pork Board over the use of its trademarked slogan, as multiple observers,…

Jun 22, 2010 5:32 PM CDT

WSJ to NYT on IP Claim: We Thought You Had Better Things to Worry About

The Wall Street Journal has sent a flippant reply to the New York Times over its claim that the Journal stole the Times’ tagline, “Not Just Wall Street. Every Street.” The Times had sent the Wall Street Journal a cease-and-desist letter after the Dow Jones publication used the tagline to…

Jun 8, 2010 10:30 AM CDT

No Permission, No Problem: Gary, Ind., Plans Michael Jackson Museum

You might think Indiana officials would have learned a lawsuit lesson from the Dillinger Museum. After a seven-year litigation saga, tourism officials in Hammond reached an undisclosed settlement with the great-nephew of notorious gangster John Dillinger that permitted the facility to reopen to the public. But now their Gary counterparts…

Jun 3, 2010 10:57 PM CDT