Month: September 2014

Trademark Application Battle with Twitter Forces Twitpic Shut Down

Posted by Andy Johnson on

Twitpic-logoBefore 2006 to tweet was something only birds did. Now tweeting is pretty much ubiquitous. One of the 10 most popular sites on the internet, Twitter has changed culture and the way people experience the world. News outlets are typically no longer the first to break news, with eyewitnesses relaying near real-time updates through Twitter. With such widespread use, Twitter has become a highly recognizable brand. As such, the group is taking measures to protect its name and unfortunately for a former symbiotic partner, it may become a casualty.

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Hungry between Breakfast and Lunch? McDonald’s Files Trademark Application on McBrunch

Posted by Andy Johnson on

Slumping sales have McDonald’s searching for something new and its recent trademark application may reveal what it has in store. In July, McDonald’s filed a trademark application on McBrunch. But does this mean we can count on an 11 AM menu? The fast-food giant is playing coy. When asked about its plans for the mark, the company stated it routinely files “intent-to-use” trademark applications and sometimes moves forward with them, and sometimes it doesn’t. So that leaves us with a resounding maybe.

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Here Comes Johnny Cleveland: Manziel Seeks Trademark Registration on New Nickname

Posted by Andy Johnson on

Johnny Manziel has yet to play in a regular season NFL game for his new team, the Cleveland Browns, but judging by his recent trademark application he seems to have long term plans in town. The much hyped quarterback filed a trademark application on the name “Johnny Cleveland” in the class covering athletic apparel. While it remains to be seen whether Manziel will be successful on the field, he is no stranger to protecting his celebrity image. The Johnny Cleveland trademark application is Manziel’s 10th filing.

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ALS Association Files and Withdraws Trademark Application for “Ice Bucket Challenge”

Posted by Andy Johnson on

If you have been on any type of social media in the last couple of months, you have undoubtedly seen or been called out for the “ice bucket challenge”. The rules of the challenge require a person challenged to either get doused with ice water and pay $10 to charity or refuse the ice shower and make a $100 charitable donation. Over the summer, the challenge became strongly associated with support for the disease ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). As the popularity of the challenge surged, the ALS Association considered whether a trademark application to protect the challenge was appropriate. After first deciding that the group should protect the mark, it has since reconsidered and withdrawn its trademark application.

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