Trademarks for Entrepreneurs

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Trademarks

Trademark Failure to Function by Dr. Roberts

Yippee! Tonight the boys brought this in the mail… my long-awaited copy of Dr. Alexandra Roberts’ Trademark Failure to Function article for the Iowa Law Review. Here’s a link to…

Trademark Failure to Function by Dr. Roberts

Yippee! Tonight the boys brought this in the mail… my long-awaited copy of Dr. Alexandra Roberts’ Trademark Failure to Function article for the Iowa Law Review. I am beyond ecstatic!…

Who’s Joe?

The Letter of Protest resources available on this website were produced with extensive guidance from USPTO staff, especially that of an Attorney Advisor with more than 20 years experience. Previously I…

Can ASL Be Trademarked?

It’s not uncommon for creatives to wrongly assume they invented or coined their artistic expressions. For example, a certain rock star wanted to register this hand gesture. (I’ll bet you…

Who’s Joe?

The Letter of Protest resources available on this website were produced with extensive guidance from USPTO staff, especially that of an Attorney Advisor with more than 20 years experience. Previously I…

LOP Examples: Class 035

As the Lord would have it, within a day or so of my conversation with Joe, my friend Rhonda shared with me FOUR new frivolous applications in IC 035 (online retail services) I could use to test out my understanding of Joe’s explanations. This is one of those four.

LOP Examples: Bible Verse

When filing a Letter of Protest against an application to register a Bible verse or other religious quotation as a trademark, here’s what you need to know: Legal Basis: Failure…

Can ASL Be Trademarked?

It’s not uncommon for creatives to wrongly assume they invented or coined their artistic expressions. For example, a certain rock star wanted to register the ILY symbol. I am not…

define: Frivolous Trademark

Frivolous trademarks are applications or registrations which may be used to control the use of phrases and bully the competition.

Trademark Bully Example: Stealth Troll

Here’s a sickening tale of how one “IP entrepreneur” shamelessly used his “stealth” trademark as a cash cow until the Seventh Circuit Court stopped him. In a nutshell, the owner…

define: Frivolous Trademark

Frivolous trademarks are applications or registrations which may be used to control the use of phrases and bully the competition.

Stealth Troll:

Here’s a sickening tale of how one “IP entrepreneur” shamelessly used his “stealth” trademark as a cash cow until the Seventh Circuit Court stopped him. In a nutshell, the owner…

Why So Many Frivolous Trademarks?

USPTO expects you to let them know if a registration will negatively impact your business. That’s why the Letter of Protest system is free.

define: Trademark Trolling

Trademark trolling means using one’s trademark registration to limit competition. Not all frivolous trademark owners are trademark trolls.

Fighting Frivolous Trademarks Groups

Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much. Helen Keller About a year into my “fighting questionable trademarks” journey, I left the group I’d joined to…

Link: Search the Trademark Official Gazette

Here’s the link to search the Trademark Official Gazette. Use it to check trademark applications that have been recently published for opposition. I’ll show you how to search and review new applications in a separate post.

Link: Search the Trademark Official Gazette

Here’s the link to search the Trademark Official Gazette. Use it to check trademark applications that have been recently published for opposition. I’ll show you how to search and review new applications in a separate post.

Fighting Frivolous Trademarks Groups

Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much. Helen Keller About a year into my “fighting frivolous trademarks” journey, I left the group I’d joined to…

Rules of the Game (IP for Newbies)

To clean up the frivolous trademark mess at Amazon and Etsy, we need to start with a basic understanding of trademarks and copyrights.

define: Trademark Trolling

Trademark trolling means using one’s trademark registration to limit competition. Not all frivolous trademark owners are trademark trolls.

Why So Many Frivolous Trademarks?

USPTO expects you to let them know if a registration will negatively impact your business. That’s why the Letter of Protest system is free.

Top 10 Letter of Protest Facts

Here are 10 facts every entrepreneur should know about the Letter of Protest system and the fight against frivolous trademarks.

Girlboss Update

GIRLBOSS’s attorney raises some interesting points to overcome USPTO’s initial “failure to function” refusal. I’m curious how USPTO will rule on this.

Girlboss Update

GIRLBOSS’s attorney raises some interesting points to overcome USPTO’s initial “failure to function” refusal. I’m curious how USPTO will rule on this.

USPTO Audits

USPTO apparently audits registrations! The screenshot is hard to read, so here’s what it says: The USPTO is performing random audits of US trademark registrations to assess and promote the…

Trademark Letter of Protest Evidence Checklist

This post contains “best practice guidelines” for submitting a trademark Letter of Protest to support a refusal. Pat Protester worked directly with USPTO to develop the trademark Letter of Protest…

Make America Gullible Again

“Make America Grateful Again” is a registered trademark for hats and T-shirts (SN87587829). As if a typical consumer seeing products bearing this “mark” (decorating shirts in large print across the…

Make America Gullible Again

“Make America Grateful Again” is a registered trademark for hats and T-shirts (SN87587829). As if a typical consumer seeing products bearing this “mark” (decorating shirts in large print across the…

How to Respond to TM Bullies

A revamped version of a post from 2018. IP Infringement Claim Response  Have you received an email from the owner of a registered trademark telling you to remove your design? …

Link: Trademark Letter of Protest

Letter of Protest Form – USPTO’s form to protest trademark applications that should not register. To properly complete the form, review my Letter of Protest posts and/or join a group.

Link: Letter of Protest

Letter of Protest Form – USPTO’s form to protest trademark applications that should not register. To properly complete the form, review my Letter of Protest posts and/or join a group.

The Why and How of Frivolous Trademarks

What’s behind the rise in trademark applications? Some blame China, but I think there’s more to it. And why and how are so many questionable trademarks registered? At the heart…