Judge admonishes losing counsel in long-running litigation
A federal judge admonished a lawyer Wednesday whose clients were found to have abused the process in prosecuting a trademark infringement suit against a similar wine-and-art business.
Trademarks
Articles
Lucky, plucky owners reclaim and renew famous Hoosier trademarks
Entrepreneurs enjoying sweet successes and heady times with the resurgence of their retro products took varied paths to claim the rights to bring back brands with deep Hoosier roots. The new owners of Roselyn Bakery, Choc-Ola chocolate drink and Champagne Velvet beer got dormant brands back on store shelves by capitalizing on trademarks that had disappeared from the marketplace but retained a certain cachet.
Purdue balks at use of its brand in panned film
Purdue University officials are asking their legal counsel to look into a new movie that makes frequent references to the school despite its refusal to grant permission to use official trademarks and logos.
Security software maker loses trademark case against Warner Bros.
The Plymouth, Indiana-based security software maker that sued Warner Bros. after the movie “The Dark Knight Rises” referred to hacking software as “clean slate” lost its trademark infringement case before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. The company, which has a program called “Clean Slate,” claimed its sales dropped after the movie came out.
Decision against travel bureau over domain name draws sharp dissent on appeal
An Indiana Court of Appeals judge recently wrote that her colleagues who formed the majority to rule against a local tourism board were “out of touch,” and she suggested a case over an Internet domain name presented a novel issue that no court in the country has addressed.
Trademark board rules against Redskins name
A federal trademark board ruled Wednesday that the Washington Redskins nickname is "disparaging of Native Americans" and that the team's trademark protections should be canceled, a decision that applies new financial and political pressure on the team to change its name.
Mom and pop store can’t proceed pro se in Coach trademark lawsuit
The owners of a southern Indiana general store accused in a federal lawsuit of selling knockoff high-end Coach-brand products may not represent pro se their incorporated general store named in the suit.
James Dean estate sues Twitter over ‘@JamesDean’
The estate of legendary Indiana film star James Dean has sued Twitter, claiming the Internet giant permitted the unauthorized personal Twitter account @JamesDean.
Kraft wins in food fight with Cracker Barrel
A federal appeals court ruled recently that savvy consumers might be confused if food branded Cracker Barrel Old Country Store was sold in grocery stores that carry Kraft’s Cracker Barrel brand cheese. Turns out even a law professor who teaches a course on trademarks and unfair competition might be fooled.
Kraft prevails in Cracker Barrel fight
Not coming soon to a grocery store near you: food products from Cracker Barrel Old Country Store restaurants.
Irked judge in tanning trademark dispute: ‘This is a busy Court’
A federal judge warned a tanning product maker and lawyers defending it from a trademark infringement claim that they were dangerously close to getting burned.
Court reverses hotel’s cybersquatting conviction
A dispute over who could use the designation “Visit Michigan City LaPorte” led to a legal battle between LaPorte County’s visitors bureau and an area hotel-resort, with the trial court ruling in favor of the visitors bureau. But the Indiana Court of Appeals reversed Monday, ruling the bureau didn’t prove it held a valid and protectable trademark.
Legal fight fuels tensions in tight-knit tech world
A trademark-infringement case brought against App Press LLC threatens to smother the tech startup in legal fees before it reaches its potential. And in a curious twist, the case also has generated grumblings in the tightknit developer community toward a big law firm that is representing App Press’ opponent in the federal court case.
‘Hologram’ performance by Tupac creates legal questions for IP lawyers
Fans raved about the "hologram" Tupac Shakur's performance at Coachella. For intellectual property lawyers, Tupac’s virtual return to the stage raises some interesting questions.
Video game maker wins IP suit
U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson shot down a lawsuit brought by heirs of bank robber John Dillinger that challenges how his name is used in video games based on the movie “The Godfather.”
Judge: video games don’t infringe on Dillinger trademark
A federal judge has shot down a lawsuit brought by heirs of notorious bank robber John Dillinger over the depiction of the Dillinger name in video games based on the classic movie "The Godfather."
COA to hear arguments in trademark case at Merrillville High School
The Indiana Court of Appeals will hear oral argument in An-Hung Yao v. State of Indiana and Yu-Ting Lin v. State of Indiana at 12:30 p.m. (CDT) May 25, 2011, at Merrillville High School in the Freshman Center Lecture Hall. A panel of judges consisting of Chief Judge Margret G. Robb, Judge Michael P. Barnes, and Judge Terry A. Crone will hear the case on appeal from Huntington Circuit Court.
Oxford scholar to lecture at Indiana University Maurer School of Law
A renowned intellectual property scholar will present a lecture at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law next month. Graeme Dinwoodie, director of the Oxford University Intellectual Property Research Centre, will lecture on “Global Marks in Local Markets: Territoriality in EU and U.S. Trademark Law,” at noon April 6 in the law school’s Moot Court Room.
IP meets pop culture
A class of 10 students at Indiana University Maurer School of Law – Bloomington has been getting hands-on experience helping an intellectual property lawyer who works with musicians, actors, and other entertainers on contract and intellectual property issues.