IP & Technology Law Trends
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The Struggle is Real: Federal Trademark Registration for Cannabis and Hemp-Derived Food and Beverages Remains Elusive
Although commercial use of a trademark alone triggers rights in a mark, wise business owners endeavor to take advantage of the added benefits and protections conveyed by federal registration. One of the most important benefits of federal trademark re...
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Don’t Let Your Core Brands Fall Victim to Trademark Trolls
Similar to its patent and copyright-focused counterparts, “trademark troll” is a negative moniker that refers to people who register for a trademark in bad faith, meaning they have no lawful intention to use the mark in commerce. Instead, trolls seek...
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The Ninth Circuit Leaves Open the Delta-8 THC Legal Loophole in an Intellectual Property Dispute
In the first federal appellate ruling on delta-8 THC, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals deemed the substance legal—at least for purposes of trademark protection—concluding that if “Congress inadvertently created a loophole legalizing vaping product...
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Priority “UNTAMED”: Enforceable Priority in Madrid-Registered Mark Does Not Require Use of Mark Before Infringement Commences, Says Ninth Circuit
The general rule under U.S. trademark law is that the first to use a trademark in U.S. commerce has priority in the mark over other "would-be" users of the same, or confusingly similar, mark. This applies in both common law and as to rights...
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Stimulus Legislation Brings Substantial Changes to Trademark and Copyright Law
Feb 16, 2021
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Congress tucked major trademark and copyright legislation into the almost 6,000 page COVID-relief stimulus package it passed in the waning days of 2020. Overall, these changes will make it easier for rightsholders to pursue infringement claims going...
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Supreme Court Denies Cert in Jack Daniel’s Dog Toy Case
The United States Supreme Court has denied Jack Daniel’s distillery’s petition for a writ of certiorari from a Ninth Circuit decision holding that a dog toy seller’s use of the Jack Daniel’s trademarks and label design is expression protected by the...
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