Alt Legal IP News – Issue # 178
Bri Van Til | March 03, 2020
Counterfeits
– With the rise of third-party retailers selling products on Amazon comes the rise of counterfeit products, many of which are indistinguishable from legitimate ones.
– Teens are posting videos with their counterfeit luxury goods and getting sometimes millions of views on TikTok.
– The U.S. Congress is considering a bill that would hold online retailers like Amazon responsible for counterfeit goods sold on their platforms.
Establishing New Precedents
– TTAB issued a precedential opinion that denied a motion mark for a tap-dancing tour company.
– The Northern District of Illinois recently ruled that the Defend Trade Secrets Act could apply even if the alleged misappropriation took place outside of the U.S.
– The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that a copyright owner cannot seek statutory damages if a work was not registered with the copyright office before the infringement began.
Up in Smoke
– Though cannabis trademarks remain in a hazy legal status, Global Cannabinoids has just been issued a trademark.
– A U.S. District court has sided with Tapatio Foods and found that Tiowaxy’s THC-laced hot sauces infringe on Tapatio’s trademarks.
– Do Iancu v. Brunetti and Matal v. Tam mean that cannabis companies can register their trademarks, or does Congress need to settle the issue with legislation?
– Just a few months after the first cannabis strain was awarded a patent, the first cannabis patent fight has begun.
– To find out more about the intersection of cannabis and trademarks, come to Shabnam Malek and Amanda Conley’s talk at Alt Legal Connect. Only a few tickets remain!
Professional Concerns
– Disney, The New York Times, and Microsoft are looking for counsel.
– Citrix is looking for help with IP transactions and litigation. They really want you to go to [their] meeting[s].
– Roll Law Group, the in-house team for The Wonderful Company, is looking for a litigator.
– 3M has a job listing for an IP attorney. They’ve post[ed] it.
– Have an open role on your team? Send a link to your job listing to [email protected], and we’ll publish it in our next newsletter.
Odds and Ends
– Amici, including INTA, are arguing that Booking.com should not be considered generic.
– In an attempt to stop the recent wave of music copyright infringement cases, two musicians have created and publicly released every possible 8-note and 12-beat melody combo.
– A British comedian has legally changed his name to Hugo Boss.
– A news story broke suggesting that people were avoiding Corona beer because of the association with the coronavirus, but Snopes said nope.
– A Texas school district is facing scrutiny for spending $7000 to obtain IP protection for its logo and then sending cease and desist letters to parents who used the logo on social media.