USPTO Database Search v. Comprehensive Clearance Search

When you are considering adopting and registering a new trademark, one of your first steps should be to conduct a trademark search.  The main goal of a trademark search is to uncover any potential conflicts that your trademark may face.   This could potentially save you time, money and the loss of your trademark in the future.  There are two main …

Trademark Symbols – When Can I Use TM, SM, ® and © symbols?

The ™, ®, ©, and ℠ symbols are ubiquitous. We see them every day on the websites we visit and on the products we purchase.   While we may not pay much attention to them in our daily lives, they each serve a very important purpose and convey valuable information to the public.   It is important to know the differences …

Defending a Trademark Opposition

What is a Trademark Opposition? A trademark opposition is a litigation proceeding before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), in which a third party may object to the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s decision to register your trademark. During the trademark application process the examining attorney will review your application to determine whether they believe it is entitled …

Design Patent Protection for Jewelry Designs

Design patents tend to get overlooked as a means of protection for jewelry designs. This may be a result of the stigma associated with patents as being very costly and taking very long to obtain. However, design patents are substantially less expensive and take a shorter period of time to obtain than utility patents and as such can be a …

Trade Dress Protection: The Underutilized Trademark Right

Standing out in a sea of brands can be difficult. Coming up with clever slogans, and distinctive brand names are essential to leave lasting impressions on consumers. Brands can further set themselves apart by coming up with unique trademarks through product shapes, color and packaging. Earlier this year, cosmetic brand, Glossier, secured a trademark registration for their signature pink bubble …

International Copyright Protection

With the ease of access to content over the internet, creators (“authors”) find importance in obtaining intellectual property protection in the United States and abroad. Copyright laws are national in nature. This means that whether protection is afforded to a work is generally dependent on the laws of the territory in which protection is sought. However, there are a number …

The USPTO Requires Foreign Residents to be Represented by a US Attorney in all U.S. Trademark Matters

Effective August 3, 2019, foreign-domiciled U.S. trademark applicants, registrants and parties to U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) proceedings will need to be represented by an attorney licensed to practice in the United States. Generally, a U.S. licensed attorney will not need to be appointed in an application that was filed prior to August 3, 2019. However, if an action is …

Amending to the Supplemental Register

In the United States, the two registers on which a trademark may be placed are the Principal Register and the Supplemental Register. Most applications are submitted for protection on the Principal Register. However, in certain instances, an examining attorney may provide an applicant with the option to amend their application to the Supplemental Register in order to overcome a refusal …

You Received a Trademark Office Action, Now What?

Have you received an office action from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in response to your submission of an application for U.S. trademark protection? Trademark office actions may be issued by a USPTO examining attorney for a number of reasons. The examining attorney may issue an office action to request amendments to the application, to request additional …