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In LeBron James’ house, Tuesday nights mean one thing: Tacos. In a series of Instagram posts last year, the NBA superstar gleefully announced to his 50-plus million followers that he and his family were enjoying the tradition of eating tacos on Tuesday. It picked up enough attention that James decided to file an intent-to-use trademark application for TACO TUESDAY, including for “advertising and marketing services,” “podcasting services,” and “online entertainment services” (see, Ser. No. 88579771). But as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and numerous other outlets reported, the application was refused by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in a Sept. 11, 2019 office action. One reason given for the refusal was that the applied-for mark did not “function as a trademark.” See, http://bit.ly/39JPoO7.
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Fourth Circuit Weighs In on Fair Use and Copyright Registration Validity
By Thomas Kjellberg and Robert W. Clarida
In Philpot v. Independent Journal Review, the Fourth Circuit found no fair use or copyright validity for a concert photographer's use of a photo of Ted Nugent as part of a collection.
USPTO Issues New Guidance On Rejecting Patent Claims for Obviousness
By Rob Maier
The United States Patent and Trademark Office recently published new guidance explaining the requirements for patent examiners to reject patent claims for obviousness in view of what was already known in the prior art.
“Holy Fair Use, Batman”: Copyright, Fair Use and the Dark Knight
By David G. Kim and Michael K. Friedland
The copyright for the original versions of Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse have expired. Now, members of the public can create — and are busy creating — their own works based on these beloved characters. Suppose, though, we want to tell stories using Batman for which the copyright does not expire until 2035. We’ll review five hypothetical works inspired by the original Batman comic and analyze them under fair use.
Intellectual Property In Legal Tech: Lessons from Recent Cases
By Brian Mack, Kevin Keller and Olga V. Mack
As technology continues to permeate the legal industry, the significance of IP in safeguarding innovations, ensuring fair competition, and fostering a culture of creative legal solutions becomes paramount.