Month: August 2014

USC Football Coach Sarkisian Seeks Trademark Registration on His Name

504px-2008-0808-USC19-SteveSarkisian
Photo by Bobak Ha’Eri used by permission of a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

The business of college football is big. At a time when the upper level conferences are seeking to break away from the NCAA to consolidate TV revenue and power, the money surrounding college football has never been greater. And unlike professional sports where the elite players are the stars, in college football the most identifiable representative of a particular university is often the coach.

Continue reading “USC Football Coach Sarkisian Seeks Trademark Registration on His Name”

Louis Vuitton Accused of Infringing Atlanta Based Shoe Designer’s Toe Plate Trademark

When you think of Louis Vuitton, you probably think of a trend-setter, a brand that is at the forefront of fashion. In most cases, this is probably true, but recently the fashion behemoth may have been just a little late to the party. The French company is being sued for trademark infringement by an emerging Atlanta-based shoe designer, Antonio Brown’s trademark attorney, who claims that Louis Vuitton has been copying his unique toe plate design and causing consumers to be confused about which design is which.

Continue reading “Louis Vuitton Accused of Infringing Atlanta Based Shoe Designer’s Toe Plate Trademark”

No “Zilla” Confusion: Zillow Loses Opposition to LoanZilla Trademark Application

The online real estate database Zillow flexed its muscle recently with the announcement that it will acquire its competitor Trulia for $3.5 billion, giving it about 61% of total home listing internet searches. With such power Zillow is established as a force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately for Zillow, its might doesn’t hold much influence over the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), which recently rejected Zillow’s opposition to LoanZilla’s trademark application. The Office determined that there is no likelihood of confusion between Zillow’s registered trademark and the LoanZilla mark that LoanZilla applied to register.

Continue reading “No “Zilla” Confusion: Zillow Loses Opposition to LoanZilla Trademark Application”

Duck Dynasty Facing Trademark Infringement Lawsuit over Use of “My Favorite Color is Camo”

Duck Dynasty, the popular A&E television program, is big on camouflage. But the Dynasty crew may have overstepped its camo bounds when it proclaimed that “My Favorite Color is Camo.” This proclamation and use of the phrase on branded merchandise has recently led to a lawsuit. The Duck group is facing a trademark infringement challenge from a Florida company claiming Dynasty’s use of the phrase “My Favorite Color is Camo” infringes on its trademark registration.

Continue reading “Duck Dynasty Facing Trademark Infringement Lawsuit over Use of “My Favorite Color is Camo””