Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus ended its 150-year run as an operating circus in May 2017. The show garnered worldwide fame as “The Greatest Show on Earth”. This tagline became so synonymous with the Circus that the owners obtained a trademark registration on the phrase and even as the Circus has now ended, the trademark registration lives on. Unfortunately for Kid Rock, the owners of this trademark registration are now suing him for trademark infringement after he branded his upcoming concert tour “Greatest Show on Earth Tour 2018”. Continue reading “The Greatest Show on Earth Files Lawsuit against Kid Rock”
Category: Trademark Litigation
Portland Trademark Filing Blocked by Local Brewer Registration of Iconic White Stag
One of Portland, Oregon’s iconic locations is the White Stag sign. This neon sign outlined in the shape of Oregon and headed with a jumping deer has changed its written message over the years, currently reading “Portland, Oregon Old Town”, but the jumping deer has always remained. After decades of rising above the city, this sign and the jumping deer have become strongly associated with Portland and are now at the center of a trademark controversy between a local brewer and Portland City Hall.
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Kroger Sues Newcomer Lidl
Kroger is a grocery store super giant. Operating around 2,800 stores nationally, it is America’s largest grocery store chain. Its stores generated $115.3 billion in total sales in 2016 with approximately $20 billion in sales coming from its in-house brand “Private Selection”. That’s a lot of dough. So when European grocery giant Lidl began opening stores in the US and using its in-house brand “Preferred Selection”, Kroger quickly took action to protect its hard-won turf by filing a trademark infringement and dilution lawsuit, claiming that Preferred Selection is likely to cause confusion among consumers and dilutes the value of Kroger’s registered trademarks.
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Patagonia Challenges Trademark Application for Ganjagonia
It’s an interesting time for marijuana related businesses. At the state level, several states have given them a green light. On the federal level, however, the light is still very much red. In states where marijuana laws have been eased, entrepreneurs have been actively developing businesses around pot culture. But these entrepreneurs run into problems with federal trademark registration because the US Patent & Trademark Office is federally regulated. Trademark examiners have typically rejected marijuana related marks. However, one Colorado based web producer has passed the federal hurdle for his trademark application on Ganjagonia – a marijuana themed web cartoon, but now faces a more traditional trademark challenge from an actual company, as the outdoor retailer Patagonia is challenging his trademark application. Continue reading “Patagonia Challenges Trademark Application for Ganjagonia”
Mars May be too Late to Secure M&M’s Branding Rights in Sweden
M&M’s may be loved the world over, but if Swedish people want them, they may need a new name. This news comes after the Swedish Court of Appeals ruled that the M&M’s mark causes confusion among Swedish consumers due to a traditional Swedish chocolate candy that also comes marked with the letter “M”. Mars, the manufacturer of M&M’s, will now need to change the name of the candies in Sweden, appeal the decision, or face penalties laid out by the Court of Appeals if it continues selling there.
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Converse Wins Trademark Victory at ITC – Sort of
Converse’s Chuck Taylor shoes are one of the oldest and most recognizable athletic shoes around. Designed specifically for basketball players, the shoes were introduced in 1917. Converse says that it has sold more than a billion pairs of the shoes worldwide since then. However, even though the shoes have a long history and a distinctive look, they don’t have exclusivity on every design element incorporated into the shoe. That’s the ruling from the US International Trade Commission after Converse filed a trademark complaint with the ITC in 2014.
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Coke Wins Partial Victory Against Dr. Pepper in “Zero” Trademark Dispute
Coca-Cola is a giant in the beverage industry. If you said everyone in the world knows what Coke is, it may actually be true and not just an exaggeration. With such recognition and substantial marketing resources behind its zero calorie drinks like “Coke Zero”, “Sprite Zero” and “Powerade Zero”. Coke has finally convinced the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to allow its trademark registration on the term “zero” in conjunction with its beverages. This grant comes in spite of Dr. Pepper’s protests that the term is a generic reference to zero-calorie drinks. The decision is limited however, and leaves the door open for Dr. Pepper to also register its “zero” products and pushes any future disputes into federal court.
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Navajo Nation Suffers Partial Loss in Trademark Action Against Urban Outfitters
The Navajo Nation is one of the largest indigenous tribes of Native Americans. Its language has been featured in major motion pictures and its culture has been portrayed in books and on TV. Yet, as far as trademarks go, all this recognition may not be enough for “Navajo” as a trademark to qualify as famous. That’s what a judge recently declared as he threw out a trademark dilution claim from the Navajo Nation’s trademark infringement suit against the clothing store Urban Outfitters.
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Indiana Bakeries Square off Over Square Donuts
Donuts have never suffered from a popularity issue. With high demand, supply typically rises to match. And as the competition intensifies, bakeries look for ways to innovate and separate themselves from the pack.
One way that a Terra Haute, Indiana bakery has done so is by going against the norm and producing a square shaped donut. While the square shape may have been original, the name it chose to call these donuts was not. The bakery called itself and the donuts it produced, “Square Donuts.” This lack of originality has led to a trademark dispute with another unimaginative bakery in Valparaiso, Indiana, that is also attempting to call its cornered donuts “square donuts.” Continue reading “Indiana Bakeries Square off Over Square Donuts”
Delta Airlines Files Lawsuit Against Vacation Scammers
Delta is one of the largest airlines in the world. That’s what makes it an attractive target for trademark infringement. If you want your business to look legitimate, it helps to be associated with Delta. But if you aren’t legitimate and don’t have Delta’s permission to use its brand, you run the risk of getting sued, which is exactly where a group in Florida finds itself. Continue reading “Delta Airlines Files Lawsuit Against Vacation Scammers”