Alt Legal IP News – Issue #202
Bri Van Til | August 19, 2020
Throw the Book at ‘Em
– USPTO v. Booking.com was arguably the biggest trademark case of the year. Join Alt Legal and Booking.com’s attorney Jonathan Moskin next month to hear about the team’s defense of the trademark and the implications of the case.
– Japanese downloading sites KissManga and KissAnime have been shut down as the country cracks down on copyright infringement.
– Is the Supreme Court’s ruling in USPTO v. Booking.com unfair to startups?
– The Ninth Circuit has affirmed the dismissal of Masterson v. Walt Disney Company, where the author claimed Inside Out infringed on her book of poetry and movie script.
– Is the standard for registering domain names with generic words—like booking.com—less strict in Canada?
Let Me Console You
– Nintendo’s recent trademark applications suggest a 35th anniversary Zelda game might be in the works, but don’t hold your breath (of the wild) because it may take some (ocarina of) time.
– Video game streaming social media platform Twitch has been taking down instances of alleged copyright infringement on the site, but some argue the videos should be fair use.
– Indie games bring in billions of dollars each year, but a WTR research project has found they’re often severely underprotected by IP.
– Sony’s PS5 is set to come out later this year, apparently the company has an optimistic outlook for its future: it’s filed trademark applications for PS6, PS7, PS8, PS9 and PS10!
A College Try
– Youngstown State University may break the mold and claim ownership of non-patent IP produced by its faculty, including books, articles, lectures, etc.
– The Justice Department’s charges in an alleged trade secret theft case have many concerned the Department is “criminalizing employment disputes.”
Professional Concerns
– Corning is looking for counsel. If I were an attorney, I could apply. Oh, wait, it’s Corning, not Corny. Nevermind.
– Signs point to Chevron‘s search for counsel.
– To get this job as senior commercial counsel, you might need to think inside the Box.
– This senior counsel position with Mars is out of this world!
– Andrea Sager Law is looking for a trademark attorney.
– Make sure you know and understand the USPTO’s post-registration audit program before a client starts asking about it. Join us and superstar trademark attorney Allison Ricketts at Alt Legal Connect. Use the code “newsletter” for a discount.
– Have an open role on your team? Send a link to your job listing to community@altlegal.com, and we’ll publish it in our next newsletter.
Odds and Ends
– Patent applications can take numerous paths, but they all lead to the public domain. See an infographic here.
– The Court of Appeals for the Fourth District of California has found that Amazon can be held liable for defective products sold by third parties.
– A pro se applicant in New York has filed a trademark application for “HRH THE DUCHESS OF SUSSEX NEW JERSEY” for flowers, fruits and veggies and herbs. I’m sure the Duchess doesn’t carrot all about that.
– If you missed last week’s fashion law panel, you can find the recording here and recordings of past webinars here.
– From the first question you ask clients to your disengagement letter, clear communication is key. Join Alt Legal and former USPTO examiner Andrea Evans next Thursday for “Impeccable Intake” to learn all about what information you should be gathering and how you can set clear expectations.