Alt Legal IP News – Issue # 161
Alt Legal Team | October 22, 2019
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Kiss and Makeup
– Father and son personal injury lawyers in South Carolina are battling over who can use the name George Sink in their law firm name, but the father is only seeking a $100 bond in the case, seemingly so as not to hurt his son’s business too much.
– Cosmetics company Charlotte Tilbury’s powderful argument against Aldi won them their copyright infringement case.
– Kylie Jenner filed a trademark application for her daughter’s name, “Stormi,” for cosmetics, stating that the one-year-old is interested in makeup.
Public Art?
– Popular street artist Banksy may think that “copyright is for losers,” but he seems to be okay with trademarks; he’s fighting the cancellation of his European trademarks.
– This article looks at several recent cases that have hinged on whether using street art in advertising is copyright infringement.
– This author argues that updating Canada’s copyright laws would help Canadian artists and bolster Toronto’s economy.
Think Again
– IP attorney Nick Gingo argues that sometimes brands win simply by applying for trademark protection, even if their applications are unsuccessful.
– Today the House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the CASE Act, a copyright bill that would carry up to a $30,000 fine for sharing someone else’s copyrighted work online.
– The Grinch stole this photographer’s Christmas theme, or at least Dr. Seuss Enterprises sent a cease and desist to the photographer demanding no more Grinch-related photo sessions.
– A new study suggests that up to 60% of search results are for fake goods.
Odds and Ends
– When McDonalds sent a Canadian restaurant owner a cease-and-desist order for the restaurant’s Effing Filet O’ Fish sandwich, the owner sent back his own “Eff you” to the corporation: he renamed the sandwich the McEffing Fish Fillet.
– President Trump’s reelection campaign is threatening to sue CNN for trademark infringement for the network’s coverage of the campaign.
– One way to deal with Brexit woes? Booze. UK companies have filed significantly more spirits trademark applications in the past couple years.
– This is a fascinating read about how the beer industry barley pays attention to IP rights.
See you next week!
Bri from Alt Legal