CBE16 - Battle of the Brands: Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

Magic Hat v.

West Sixth

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

In re Bull Creek Brewing

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

Sierra Nevada v.

Fort George

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

Franciscan Vineyards v. HBO

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

Anheuser-Busch v.

Natty Greene’s

Brewing Company

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

Elements Spirits

(KAH) v. Iconic

Brands (Sangre de

Vida)

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

Lost Coast v.

Aviator

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

Sazerac v. Crosby

Lakes

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

New Belgium v.

Oasis Texas

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

Sixpoint v.

Renegade

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

Sam Adams, etc. v. Left Hand

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

Coronado v. Maritime

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

Lagunitas v. Sierra

Nevada

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

In re Blackhawk winery

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

Atlas Brewing v. Atlas Brew Works

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

Anchor Steam

v. Drop Anchor

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

Sazerac v.

Stout Brewing

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

Anheuser-Busch v.

Natty Greene’s

Brewing Company

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

In re Bull Creek Brewing

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

Elements Spirits

(KAH) v. Iconic

Brands (Sangre de

Vida)

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

Sierra Nevada v.

Fort George

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

Magic Hat v.

West Sixth

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

Franciscan Vineyards v. HBO

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

Lost Coast v.

Aviator

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

Sixpoint v.

Renegade

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

Sam Adams, etc. v. Left Hand

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

Sazerac v. Crosby

Lakes

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

Lagunitas v. Sierra

Nevada

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

New Belgium v.

Oasis Texas

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

Coronado v. Maritime

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

In re Blackhawk winery

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

Anchor Steam

v. Drop Anchor

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

Sazerac v.

Stout Brewing

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

Atlas Brewing v. Atlas Brew Works

Battle of the Brands:Avoiding Common Trademark Pitfalls

Chris McElwain

I.

What’s a trademark?

II.

Choosing a trademark

III.

Protecting your trademark

IV.

Enforcing your trademark

V.

Q&A

I. What’s a trademark?

Trademarks identify the source of

goods and services

Trademarks differ from patents

and copyrights

Trademarks differ from domain

names and corporate names

What’s a trademark?Trademarks commonly take the form

of words or images or both

What’s a trademark?

However, trademarks can also take

less traditional forms: shapes, colors,

sounds or even smells

What’s a trademark?

Elements Spirits

(KAH) v. Iconic

Brands (Sangre de

Vida)

What’s a trademark?Design Mark

Standard Character Mark

CompositeMark

Stylized Mark

House Mark

Product Mark

II. Choosing a trademark

Trademark Pitfalls Choosing a Weak Mark Choosing an Infringing

Mark

Choosing a trademark

Trademarks vary in strength:

Generic

Descriptive

Suggestive

Arbitrary

Fanciful

Examples:• Apple (apples)• Smart Phones• Aspirin• Escalator• The Container Store• Cartoon Network• Sports Illustrated• Best Buy• Cheez-Its• Instagram• Nike• Apple (computers)• Google• Pepsi• Prozac

Choosing a trademark

Sam Adams, etc. v. Left Hand

Choosing a trademark

Choosing a trademark

Choosing a trademark

Choosing a trademark

Choosing a trademark

Trademark Pitfalls Limiting search to identical

marks Limiting search to registered

marks

Choosing a trademark

Choosing a trademark

Choosing a trademark

Choosing a trademark

Sazerac v. Crosby

Lakes

Choosing a trademark

In re Blackhawk winery

III. Protecting your trademark

Trademark Pitfalls Not using your mark

Not using your mark as a designation of source

Not registering your mark

Protecting your trademark

Advantages of Federal Registration

Presumptive national priority

Prevents registration of similar

marks

Constructive notice to infringers

Easier to sue in federal court

Enables certain damages awards

Facilitates foreign protection

Protecting your trademark

Coronado v. Maritime

Protecting your trademark

Trademark Application

$275 filing fee per class

10 months average to registration

Priority dates from filing

Can be filed on In-Use or Intent-to-

Use basis

IV. Enforcing your trademark

Trademark Pitfalls Under-enforcing your markOver-enforcing your mark

Enforcing your trademark

Flavors of trademark dispute:

Struggle for control of a business

Unauthorized use of trademark

Counterfeiting

Keeping your brand distinct

Enforcing your trademark

LIKELIHOOD OF CONFUSION:

Similarity of the marks

Similarity of the products

Strength of the mark

Fame of the mark

Distinctiveness of the mark

Other factors

Enforcing your trademark

Types of trademark disputes:

USPTO rejection

TTAB opposition/cancellation

Demand letter

Lawsuit

Domain name arbitration (UDRP)

Enforcing your trademark

Trademark Factchecker

“If we don’t enforce our trademark, we risk losing it.”

Enforcing your trademark

Lagunitas v. Sierra

Nevada

Questions?

[email protected]