Can we agree at the outset of this article that attorneys as a class tend to be awful at branding? This statement shouldn’t be controversial, and yet I’m already wincing as I imagine my inbox filling up with comments that start off on the lines of “But whuddabout…?” Yes, there are exceptions to every rule. […]
How to Break a Brand Without Even Trying Read More »
Like many other large companies with international reputations, distiller Jack Daniel’s is well aware of the power of branding—and the importance of protecting the elements of that brand. Now, the whiskey giant is embroiled in a tug of war with dog toy manufacturer VIP Products, LLC, over a squeaking chew toy called “Bad Spaniels” that
Barking Mad: Jack Daniel’s Goes to the Dogs Over Spoof Chew Toy Read More »
The idea of a vehicle intended for human transport being possessed, haunted, sentient, or able to communicate with (and in some cases assume autonomous control of its functions from) its human operators predates Stephen King’s Christine by at least several hundred years. With the advent of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles and the vast array of
Will Your Future Car Reposses Itself? Read More »
When news broke that beloved “Tubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff” Winnie the Pooh was destined to enter the public domain on January 1st, 2022, 95 years after A.A. Milne’s beloved children’s classic first hit the shelves and the feels of generations, it was inevitable that people would create their own spins on the
Oh, Bother!: Winnie the Pooh, (the Public Domain), and Gore Too! Read More »
Even an incarcerated felon has the right to try to protect their intellectual property, as “Tiger King” Joseph Maldonado-Passage, aka Joe Exotic, is demonstrating with his latest legal filing. The suit, filed in Florida Northern District Court, asserts that former music collaborator Vince Johnson infringed Exotic’s copyright by rerecording and using five songs that were
Pulling Out the Claws: “Tiger King” Joe Exotic Sues Alleged Former Music Collaborator Read More »
Sometimes a case comes along that tests both the limits of the law and the moral and ethical scope of an era. Moderna’s suit against Pfizer and partner firm BioNTech appears to be such a case—and the downstream effects of the verdict, pro or con, may have repercussions in US patent law for decades or
Bad Medicine: Moderna Sues Pfizer, BioNTech for Patent Infringement Read More »
The suits filed by George Lopez, Andrew “Dice” Clay, Lewis Black, the estates of Robin Williams and George Carlin, and others against Pandora conglomerated into one Titanic legal action, pundits are already drawing comparisons between the current lawsuit against Pandora and actions against infamous file-sharing services like Napster and LimeWire, who were targeted by musicians
A while back, I wrote about the legal heat Mariah Carey had drawn over allegations of copyright infringement for her Christmas anthem “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Now, she’s taking fire again…this time over plans to trademark the phrase “Queen of Christmas.” The trademark has hit a sour note with at least two
NO, QUEEN!: Mariah Carey Challenged by Peers to Prevent Trademark “Queen of Christmas” Read More »
If you’re a longtime reader of my articles, you follow my website, or you’ve read my books Escaping the Gray and Think and Grow Rich For Inventors, you likely have already noticed that Oprah Winfrey is one of my personal heroes. She started out being raised by a single teenage mother on welfare and used
In 2017, pop megastar Taylor Swift was sued by songwriting duo Sean Hall and Nathan Butler over copyright infringement, specifically stemming from alleged similarities between her 2014 hit “Shake It Off” and their 2001 track, “Playas Gon’ Play,” recorded by female R&B group 3LW. The case was initially tossed, but the dismissal was reversed on
Taylor Swift Sued Over Lyrics: Players Gonna Play Read More »
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