Alt Legal IP News – Issue #95
Hannah Samendinger | July 03, 2018
Interesting Histories
– Bacardi has been enforcing their trademark rights since 1936, often using the slogan “It’s your right” to assure consumers they should have Bacardi rum in their Bacardi cocktail. Check out the legal history of the Bacardi cocktail here.
– This is the story of the counterfeit queen of soul. It involves kidnapping, stolen identity, and stardom.
– A manipulative sex cult, Nxivm, used branding to help lure in high level and celebrity recruits. Several of the leaders have been arrested and they are subject to an ongoing investigation. It appears the cult leader may have also been seeking patents for some of their processes.
That’s Not Right
– Politics and similar branding created quite a headache for a Red Hen restaurant.
– Several websites reported that Facebook is using secret signals to trigger your iPhone’s microphone. At least one patent reader says that just isn’t true.
– This is an interesting long read analyzing copyright protection of fake facts, which can often be as original and creative as fiction.
Giraffes, Ice Cream, & Stamps
– The San Antonio zoo is asking Toys ‘R’ Us to donate the Geoffrey the Giraffe trademark registration to be repurposed for real giraffe conservation.
– July 4th is tomorrow so why not celebrate with about 1,452 ice cream patents.
– A federal court ordered the U.S. Post Office to pay $3.6M in damages for a mixup that led to billions of stamps infringing on a copyright.
Odds and Ends
– Apple and Samsung have settled their 7-year patent dispute. An even bigger patent warmay have already begun.
– The Supreme Court is going to resolve the circuit split on when a registration has been “made” under the Copyright Act.
– After resolving that copyright issue, what trademark issues will the Supreme Court tackle next?
– A New Zealand company received a request from Hello Fresh to stop using the phrase “hello fresh.” They responded with a tongue in cheek letter, which boils down to “we’ve decided ‘yeah, nah.‘”
– The Eastern District of Virginia recently handed down an opinion on fair use and this article discusses why the opinion was a misstep.