My clients sometimes tell me they've changed the name of their company and would like to change the registration of their trade-mark to their new name. However, clients often mistake the sale of a trade-mark with a change of name.…
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This weekend I was reading the latest copy of Wired Magazine (February 2013). Page 32 contained a full-page article on the contents of Pepto-Bismol and a list of the rather unappetizing heavy metals that, when ingested, allegedly cure everything from…
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Apple's new iPhone 5 uses a different connector than previous models. Apple also chose to use the name LIGHTNING for this connector. Unfortunately for Apple, the trademark LIGHTNING was already used by Harley Davidson in association with video games, TV…
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A search of the US trademark database revealed 123 citations including the terms SANTA and CLAUS as of December 20, 2012. A handful of these citations are the exact name SANTA CLAUS. Oddly enough, these marks claimed specific protection over…
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Moviegoers this Christmas season may be excited to see the new Hobbit movie, but few of them may know about a legal battle which raged on in Great Britain over the naming rights of a pub. From a search conducted…
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I was shopping at Superstore the other day and my trade-mark senses started tingling. Lo and behold I spotted a board game specializing in trade-marks! Now you can have fun AND learn about trade-marks all in one box! More about…
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As it often happens in professional sports, a unique statement, name, or play style suddenly becomes an overnight sensation. I previously Lin-troduced you to Jeremy Lin, NBA Star (read about it here). Now, as it seems, Tim Tebow, a quarterback…
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Due to the impending world-wide bacon crisis (see news story), I thought I'd share a few bacon-related trademarks I've come across. First and foremost is the BACONATOR sandwich from Wendy's. Weighing in at 970 calories and a whopping 63g of…
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An important trade-mark decision was reached on September 5, 2012 in the fashion industry. Christian Louboutin, the world-renowned designer of women's shoes, was somewhat victorious in a US trade-mark suit which highlighted the question of whether colour could validly form…
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Often I get questions from clients like: "My proposed trade-mark is similar to an existing trade-mark. Would I be able to register it?" An analysis of the registrability of a proposed trade-mark is a complicated one, and involves a number…
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