Alt Legal IP News – Issue #97
Hannah Samendinger | July 17, 2018
Drink It Up
– Due to a clerical error and an opposition by Coca-Cola, an energy drink company lost a 6-year battle to register an Australian trademark for a shade of green.
– Some popular drink brands may not be strictly enforcing their trademark rights.
– The number of wineries registering their trademarks federally may be lower than you would think.
Sign of the Times
– The USPTO issued an office action for a trademark application for ANYONE BUTTINYHANDS. The response to the office action is quite a read.
– The recent resignation of John Schnatter, the “papa” of Papa John’s, highlights the dangers of naming brands after people.
– The creator of Pepe the Frog has been fighting to take back his cartoon character from neo-Nazi communities online. The fight isn’t over, but DMCA takedown notices have resulted in the character being removed from the Daily Stormer.
Are You Listening?
– The EFF is helping a language teacher fight a patent lawsuit stemming from using the pause button to stop the lesson.
– Rage Against the Machine is demanding Nigel Farage change the name of his podcast, Farage Against the Machine.
– Walmart’s new patent for technology that listens to employee conversations and customer interactions raises some privacy concerns.
– Intellectual property attorneys are developing strategies to address the distinct challenges created by 7,000 rare diseases worldwide. Check out the Lawyers Weekly podcast episode on the topic here.
Odds and Ends
– The Quartz Obsession is one of my favorite newsletters. Their recent issue on paperclips reveals the importance of intellectual property in the paperclip’s legacy.
– Soccer fans around the world are receiving takedown notices from FIFA after publishing photos or videos showing their TV screens on social media.
– A new “game-changing” patent case may soon begin in China. Or maybe not.
– After the 10 millionth utility patent was issued in June, a patent in the 10 million series is already being enforced.
– Ruby Tuesday, the restaurant, is suing Ruby Tuesday, an Australian band, for $2 million dollars for alleged infringement of their name.