Melissa Viviane Jefferson, better known by her stage name Lizzo, popularized the phrase 100% THAT BITCH in her hit song “Truth Hurts.” But are popular song lyrics able to function as a trademark for a line of clothing?

Lizzo thought so as her trademark holding company, Lizzo LLC, filed several applications for the phrase 100%

Trademark applicants encounter refusals from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) based on a myriad of issues. Section 2(d) likelihood of confusion refusals and Section 2(e)(1) mere descriptiveness refusals or disclaimer requirements based on descriptiveness are often issued by the USPTO.

These refusals have applicants scratching their heads to determine whether to pursue an

Pursuant to the Trademark Modernization Act of 2020 (“TMA”), changes to certain procedural rules for ex parte trademark prosecution are now being implemented at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”). One of these changes concerns the amount of time applicants will have to respond to office actions, which Examining Attorneys periodically issue to address

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) has received more than 170 petitions for expungement and reexamination since it began accepting these new filings late last year. And although the Office has issued guidance about how to prepare and submit a petition properly, it has reported a number of “common mistakes” that could easily be

Background

Tech companies of every kind use graphic user interfaces (“GUI”) as a powerful differentiator of products, user experience, and branding. Companies are smart to leverage GUIs. It’s well known by marketing professionals that a well-implemented GUI can positively influence a purchaser’s decision to buy a particular product or service. By contrast, sales can be

Famed director Quentin Tarantino and production company Miramax settled their infringement lawsuit over non-fungible tokens (“NFTs”) before the US District Court for the Central District of California could weigh in on the merits of the claims, leaving us with far more questions than answers when it comes to the development of intellectual property law around