licensing
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Screwed, But Not a Federal Problem
There’s a tale here. Unfortunately for plaintiff, not enough to make a federal case. The plaintiff, G & F Licensing Corporation (GFLC), claims to be a successor company to the Gordon & Ferguson Company, the original owner of the mark FIELD & STREAM for apparel. The current record owner is Field & Stream Licenses Co.,… Continue reading
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Not Much Hope Left
Fifty Six Hope Road Music Limited, Inc. is the legal entity that owns the rights to reggae singer Bob Marley’s name, likeness and trademarks. It’s pretty familiar with defending those rights and pretty successful at it. Massachusetts case Jürek Zamoyski v. Fifty-Six Hope Road Music Limited, Inc. gives us some insight into what steps Fifty-Six… Continue reading
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Wish There Was More Story
A few days ago there was some cryptic news about a trademark dispute over the PUMA marks. The press release says this: Sportlifestyle Company PUMA herewith declares that the former Spanish license holder Estudio 2000 S.A., which owned several PUMA trademark rights, has been obliged to vest these to PUMA according to the arbitration ruling.… Continue reading
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Trademark License or Trademark Assignment?
In suit is what’s styled as a license to use the mark BUTTERNUT for bread in parts of Illinois. Interstate Bakeries (IBC) is the record owner of the BUTTERNUT mark and Plaintiffs Lewis Brothers Bakeries Inc. and Chicago Baking Company (LBB/CBC) use the BUTTERNUT mark. Interstate is currently in bankruptcy, which means it can reject… Continue reading
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Color Me Puzzled
It’s a routine trademark infringement suit over both parties’ use of the mark VANTAGE. Plaintiff Vantage, Inc. is the owner of a pending application for VANTAGE, which has been opposed by the defendant Vantage Travel Service, Inc., the opposition now stayed. Defendant filed a motion for summary judgment on a § 43(a) claim, a state… Continue reading
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A Very Short License
The Trademark Blog reports on a new case where two companies claim to own the same mark. In the complaint, the plaintiff and trademark registrant claims that it licensed the mark to the defendant but later terminated the license. The defendant’s website says that it acquired the business from the plaintiff. Here is the relevant… Continue reading
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Logo Designer Loses Again After No Show
A few days ago, the court in the Middle District of Florida held that the company that designed the logo for the “Beef O’Brady” restaurant did not own the logo for promotional goods, as blogged here. A few days later, the court also adopted the magistrate’s report and recommendation and granted a preliminary injunction against… Continue reading
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Logo Designer Loses (And Should Have)
In FSC Franchise Co. v. Express Corporate Apparel, LLC, a printing company designed the logo for a restaurant and manufactured and sold promotional goods for the restaurant. The parties had a falling out, the restaurant sued for infringement, and the logo designer counterclaimed for infringement too. Express Corporate Apparel made the branded apparel for plaintiff’s… Continue reading
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Pushing a Deal
Movie deals are made at the Sundance Film Festival, and they’re made fast. Weinstein Company v. Smokewood Entertainment Group gives us some of the flavor. The film was “Push,” now renamed “Precious.” (One blog suggests that it was done to avoid confusion with a cheesy sci-fi film of the same name.) Push won the Grand… Continue reading
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The Price of a Re-org
Some decisions just make me nervous. The Sixth Circuit decision in Cincom Systems, Inc. v. Novelis Corp. is one of them. Cincom Systems licenses software. In 1989 it licensed software to Alcan Rolled Products Division (Alcan Ohio), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alcan, Inc. The license was for use of the software on one computer in… Continue reading
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