The question of the extent to which software innovations were patentable has long confused attorneys and their clients. Section 101 Patent Act welcomes “any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof.” But an important exception pertaining to software patents was identified by the U.S. Supreme
It happens rarely, but there are some areas in which lawyers provide legal advice that is systematically ignored by a large segment of clients. For many decades, trademark lawyers have advised clients not to use “descriptive terms” as trademarks because they are “weak.” And yet clients – or at least some clients – love these
Kansas City is giddy about the success of its football team. Many artisans, designers, entrepreneurs, and other creative people are presenting a wide range of team, player, and “Big Game” merchandise for sale. However, as we expected, owners of various trademark and publicity rights are aggressively increasing their enforcement efforts. Regardless of one’s intention to
Garnish and Gather, LLC (“G&G”), a relatively small Georgia company selling meal kits and fresh and prepared foods, has filed a trademark lawsuit in the Southern District of New York against Target Corporation to stop Target’s use of “Good & Gather” as its new in-store food brand. The history and current status of the case
Two recent cases in the news demonstrate the dangers of failing to consider judicious management of intellectual property rights with regard to products that include expressive content or identifiers. The wildly popular video game – Fortnite – includes animated dances that are sold to game players as “emotes.” The emotes can then be attached to
