assignment
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The Smallest of Details
We’re all generalists for one thing or another. We have specialized knowledge in some field, but the practice of law isn’t so neat that everything you do falls within your core knowledge. Those who trade in contract work may cover many different types of deals and will necessarily rely on forms to take care of […] Continue reading
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The Opposition, Cancellation and District Court Trifecta
Here we have multiple businesses originally operated by a husband and wife, now divorced and now adverse to each other, and the same rights to the same trademark litigated in three different venues. There are a couple of lessons here. One, put forward your best case at the TTAB. If you lose at the TTAB […] Continue reading
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The Original Trademark Owner Accused of Infringement
In Unisource Discovery, Inc. v. Unisource Discovery, LLC, we have a trademark ownership decision masquarading as a likelihood of confusion analysis. The same mark was used by two entities cooperatively for a number of years without any formal licensing arrangement. As happens there was a falling out, and now the two are dueling over who […] Continue reading
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Assigning a Trademark Claim
Plaintiff Delta Medical Systems, Inc. co-owned a trademark registration for NITREX for “medical gloves” with Delta Hospital Supply, Inc. and Delta Medical Supply Group, Inc. Delta Medical sued defendant DRE Health Corp. for trademark infringement. You may have seen this coming: DRE Health Corp. filed a motion to dismiss that the two other co-owners of […] Continue reading
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Answer: Yes, There Was An Assignment
In an earlier post I asked whether a written agreement allowing the creation of a “Sequel” assigned the copyright in the original season of a telenovela, referred to as “the Series.” Caracol argued that the writing wasn’t a clear and unambiguous transfer of the rights in the Series, particularly since other parts of the agreement […] Continue reading
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Quiz: Was There An Assignment?
Caracol Television, S.A. and Telemundo Television Studios co-created a telenovela called “El Señor de los Cielos,” referred to as “the Series.” The parties agreed that if either party wanted to create a derivative work, i.e., another season, the other would have the option to become a co-producer. Telemundo wanted to make another season of the […] Continue reading
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Think of the Name
In transactional work, don’t think just about what you’re getting, but also what you don’t want the target to do in the future. Three family members with the surname Traeger had a business in wood pellet grills. They sold the business to plaintiff Traeger Pellet Grills. At least one of the Traeger family later joined […] Continue reading
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Don’t Be Too Agreeable
Plaintiff Tegu is a toy company. It hired defendant Vestal Design Atelier LLC to develop its first toy line. Vestal created prototypes for Tegu for blocks with embedded magnets. These are the relevant provisions on ownership of the intellectual property rights in the agreement: 2.0 Ownership of Intellectual Property. 1. Ownership. Intellectual property rights of […] Continue reading
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When There Are No Rights to Assign
You’ve all seen this language before. This is from an agreement to transfer rights to a formula for nutritional products in exchange for royalties: If you can’t read the image, it says In consideration of the sum of $1.00 payable by Synergy to HealthBanc upon execution of this Agreement, HealthBanc hereby transfers and assigns to […] Continue reading
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Obligations versus Benefits
Apparently someone is still interested in the Amiga operating system. In 2009, non-party Amiga, Inc. and defendant Hyperion Entertainment C.V.B.A. entered into a settlement agreement that resolved a number of lawsuits between them. The plaintiff, Cloanto Corp., was a licensee of Amiga at the time of the settlement agreement and mentioned in the agreement but […] Continue reading
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