A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives creators specific rights to their original works of authorship
Trademarks
How to protect your emerging brand’s identity (infographic)
There are a growing number of new brands emerging in just about every industry you can think of, and it’s more important than ever to know about your options to protect your brand. In the digital era, where virtually everything is accessible online, taking hold of your intellectual ownership can be quite strategic. This post […]
Anatomy of a trademark: International Classes
This article is for informational purposes only. It should not be construed as legal advice for any individual matter, nor does it create an attorney-client relationship between you and the author or the publisher. This article discusses concepts and methods applicable to U.S. law and may differ in other jurisdictions. When conceiving a new brand […]
Brands that share a brand name (Useful List)
Two famous brands that share a single brand name? Impossible, right? Surely, trademark law would prevent one company or product from stealing the brand name of another. But it happens all the time. Two brands can easily use the same name when they’re using it for different goods and services, thereby reducing the likelihood of […]
How to do preliminary trademark screening on name ideas
Note: I am not an attorney. This article about preliminary trademark screening is for informational purposes only. It should not be construed as legal advice for any individual matter, nor does it create an attorney-client relationship between you and me (the author) or the publisher. For further questions, I strongly recommend you speak to a […]
Blinded by The: A deep dive into the recent Ohio State University trademark application
Ohio State University recently filed a federal trademark application for the mark THE in connection with clothing. The application has elicited plenty of news coverage and lots of laughs, but the question remains: is THE really eligible for trademark registration?
Branding news roundup: April/May 2019
Every month or two, I publish a newsletter with branding news, updates on the podcast, featured blog posts, and branding tips and tools. If you’re not already getting the newsletter, sign up here. The most recent newsletter featured the six stories below. Target has launched a new private label brand named “Everspring” for “clean and natural,” sustainable […]
Collective trademarks and certification marks: Oddballs of the trademark family
Collective and certification marks hammer home the core tenet of trademark law: trademarks exist to protect consumers, not to privilege registrants. (I promise, this one’s always true.) Beyond that fundamental principle, however, these oddball marks behave differently from the rest of the trademark family.
Ten ways to “trade dress” for success
A growing category of trademarks has opened new opportunities for the clever strategist or brand manager to define and protect a brand. When an item’s “total image and overall appearance” successfully identifies its source like other trademarks do, that look and feel can function as a trademark. The components comprising that look and feel are called trade dress.
Ten reasons there are so many “X and Y” brand names right now
“X and Y” brand names (brand names in the style of “___ and ___”) are everywhere. This construction has been around for a while—think Johnson & Johnson, Ben & Jerry’s, Abercrombie & Fitch—but lately you can’t stroll a mall or browse online without running into “and,” “+,” or “&,” particularly in apparel and food and […]
What’s in a trademark?
In everyday parlance, the intellectual property terms “trademark,” “patent,” and “copyright” are used interchangeably. For brand strategists and managers, it is prudent to discern one from the next and, specifically in relation to building brands, understand what it really means and requires to “trademark” something. Let’s start with what a trademark is not.
Definition of trademark (What is a trademark?)
A trademark is a word(s) and/or design(s) that identifies the source of goods or services.
