Alt Legal IP News – Issue #86
Hannah Samendinger | May 01, 2018
Take a Lap
– Desiree Linder, the recent Boston Marathon winner, is seeking a trademark registration for the message that kept her motivated while training: “Keep Showing Up.”
– After a seven-year trademark battle, Lionel Messi has won the right to use his surname on products.
– Nike’s newly patented technology may help regulate the core temperatures of athletes.
Foreign Affairs
– Canada is experiencing a “green rush” to register cannabis-related trademarks.
– A French museum recently discovered that nearly half the items in their collection are forgeries.
– Formula 1 now owns the trademark registration for “Shoey,” a famous Australian podium celebration that involves drinking from a shoe.
Millions and Millions
– The Fourth Circuit overturned a $32 million fine against Walmart, finding they did not deliberately infringe on a smaller chain’s brand.
– A judge for the US Court of Appeals struck down a $200 million verdict for Merck, citing a “pervasive pattern of misconduct.”
– Seventeen years after filing, a group of freelancers won $9 million in a class action lawsuit for copyright infringement.
Odds and Ends
– Is Kanye West going to be the next Martha Stewart?
– Taylor Swift won in a copyright case, but she received a warning after seeking attorney’s fees.
– The court battle over the gene-editing technology CRISPR is heating up.
– The US has labeled 36 countries, including China and newly-added Canada, as inadequately protecting US IP rights.