Alt Legal IP News – Issue # 166
Bri Van Til | November 26, 2019
Yes, We Cannabis
– Here’s a primer on branding and packaging restrictions for Canadian cannabis companies.
– A Canadian company has been granted patents in the US and other countries for extraction of CBD and THC.
– Drake filed a US trademark application for the Canadian cannabis warning label, but the USPTO put on the brakes.
– Interested in the intersection of cannabis and trademarks? Shabnam Malek and Amanda Conley of Brand and Branch will offer a joint session on this hot topic at Alt Legal Connect!
All the TMs (and other IP) in China
– A congressional report in part blames the FBI for failing to prevent Chinese IP theft. The FBI seems to agree.
– A Chinese national resigned from his position at Monsanto and was caught trying to flee the country with the company’s trade secrets.
– As part of trade negotiations, China announced that it will crack down on IP theft, but there are caveats.
A Love-Hate Relationship
– Mary Kay is suing Ulta because they want to be the only company that loves lashes.
– Taylor Swift is being sued (again) for copyright infringement for including “haters gonna hate” and “players gonna play” in her song lyrics.
– Anti-Brexit group Led by Donkeys registered thebrexitparty.com and is demanding a million pounds to release it to Nigel Farage and the Brexit Party.
Odds and Ends
– PTAB just published a handy trial guide.
– They’re coming for your jobs: the USPTO just issued a patent for an AI-assisted contract review tool.
– The latest in the OK Boomer saga: Fox Media apparently wants to turn the meme into a reality TV show.