Category: Trademark Search

Learn more about the first step of the trademark registration process, the Trademark Search.

Understanding Trademark Search Results: Cisco “Surprised

trademark-searchFor 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.

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Kim Kardashian Hit with $10 Million Lawsuit: Trademark Search Anyone?

trademark application
Either Kim Kardashian and company didn’t bother with a proper trademark search, didn’t listen to their trademark attorney, or received some bad advice. Last week Kardashian was hit with a $10 million trademark infringement lawsuit and the complaint does not appear frivolous. Lee Tillett Inc. owns a Florida-based cosmetics brand called Kroma. Kardashian’s makeup is called “Khroma.” See any similarities?

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Doing a Thorough Trademark Search: Microsoft Learns the Hard Way

trademark searchMicrosoft recently made an about-face with their planned name “Metro” for the user interface of their upcoming Windows 8 operating system. The Metro moniker had been used in many public settings, such as third-party developer tools and blog posts for some time, but now just weeks before launch, Metro has been replaced with the much less catchy title “Windows 8-Style UI.” It appears that the impetus for the change is the threat of a trademark infringement suit from the German retail chain Metro AG. Apparently someone in Microsoft’s legal department did not do their due diligence when it came to the trademark search for Metro.

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