A Barber Pole, A Cocktail Bar, and a Bad First Amendment Result: Why the Osteria Segreto Decision Gets The Barber Shop Blackstone Wrong
A bar called “The Barber Shop” should not need a barber license. That ought...
Tagged: Trademark
Lite vs Light in Beer: Why Two 7th Circuit Cases Keep the Terms Fair Game
September marks the anniversary of the Seventh Circuit’s opinion in Miller v. Jos. Schlitz...
Mexico’s Tequila board moves to stop Tequila-like marks – a good reminder that it’s agave if it’s not certified.
Back in February we reported that a years’ long struggle with Luxco ended favorably...
Your Beer’s Name Inspired By a Famous Book, Movie or Song? It Might be Infringing. – Warner Bros. Challenges Brewer Over Golden Ticket Beer.
This is a big deal in brewing. Not just for Star Wars themed beers,...
What’s the difference between good parody and bad? – A defensible legal position.
The recent kerfuffle between Knee Deep Brewing Co., and Sony Pictures Television over Knee...
Descriptive Phrases Are For Everyone’s Use – Vanilla Java Porter Denied Trademark Registration
Some bad news for Atwater in its quest to trademark “Vanilla Java Porter” is...
This Spuds Not For You – Anheuser Gets Sued By Putative Owner of Spuds MacKenzie Claiming Anheuser Abandoned Spuds MacKenzie
You read that right. They created him, they used him, and now, they may...
The Public’s View of “Double Barreled” May Decide Trademark Dispute Between Bourbon Makers
A recent trademark decision shows how important consumer survey evidence has become in trademark litigation...
You Need an Approved COLA Before You Have a Valid Trademark?
I’d say it goes without saying, but the recent expansion of wineries, breweries and...
New Case Asks When Does a Label Cross the Line From Homage to Trademark Infringement?
Keeping someone else from trading on your name is one of the many functions...
Fire Water Trademark Dispute Heats Up Some Interesting Claims About the Age-Old Term
When Sazerac sued Hood River Distillers over a trademark dispute alleging there’d be confusion...
Design Elements Creating Distinctive Packaging Can Be Protected
In a win for beverage producers and their creative design teams, the Sixth Circuit...
