An NFL fan who had the foresight to try and get a trademark registration for “Harbowl” says he was threatened by the NFL’s trademark attorneys to abandon his trademark application. Unfortunately for him, he had not consulted a trademark attorney before filing his trademark application or after being threatened by the NFL. Whether or not pursuing the trademark registration was feasible, going up against a juggernaut like the NFL was probably just too intimidating. When it comes to navigating the complex world of intellectual property, the advice of good trademark attorney can be critical.
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As merchandisers get ready to sell their Super Bowl XLVII wares, one term is off the table. Colin Kaepernick, the celebrated quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers has filed a trademark application to register a trademark for the term “Kaepernicking.” While this may not be a household word yet (or… ever), fans of 49ers football are familiar with Kaepernick’s bicep-kissing victory dance – some would call it his trademark dance. Combine that with the super profit potential of Super Bowl memorabilia and you get Kaepernick’s aspiration for a 
Energy drinks and supplements have become hugely popular in recent years. It is big business for beverage manufacturers and the market is still new enough that smaller companies can try to grab a portion. “5 Hour Energy” is one brand that has quickly risen to establish itself as a market player. Now it looks like it’s the 
For more than 10 years, Eastern Carolina University has been using the slogan “Tomorrow Starts Here.” ECU has been using their slogan for a variety of goods and services, mainly education services. In fact ECU has a trademark registration covering their slogan in connection with education services. Now Cisco Systems, computer networking behemoth, wants to join the party. Cisco has filed at least three trademark registration applications for the slogan “Tomorrow Starts Here” for various computer related goods and services. Apparently, ECU wants Cisco to leave the party. ECU announced yesterday that it has filed a lawsuit against Cisco in federal court.
The success of Apple’s products has spawned many imitators worldwide. Not too long ago, an entire counterfeit Apple store was identified in China. Apple has also fought several large patent infringement suits with competitors like Samsung over whether Samsung ripped off some of Apple’s exclusive technology. With the enormous popularity of Apple’s brand, this kind of copying is inevitable. But in a surprising trademark registration twist, the copycat role may very well be reversed for Apple in Brazil.
Trademark cases raise lots of interesting legal issues. Sometimes they also simply raise interesting stories. Everyone is a consumer in one form or another, so we usually connect with or have an interest in the issues being litigated. And there are many wild ideas for registering a trademark. For example, a recent court case having the flair of InStyle or People Magazine involves a fight between two high fashion designers over color and incredibly expensive shoe styles. The case raises an interesting trademark issue and leaves one to wonder how crazy the outfits worn to court were.
Trademarks are typically associated with names, symbols, or phrases. Nike’s name, swoosh logo, and slogan “Just Do It” are familiar examples of these three categories. One less common, but equally important, category of a trademark that may be registered, at least in the U.S., is the three-dimensional trademark. Three-dimensional trademarks often comprise nonfunctional shapes or three-dimensional designs of products or product packaging. It is also sometimes referred to as a form of “