I ♡ Trademarks NewsletterIssue #484
Bri Van Til | June 23, 2026
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IP Reform
Draft revisions to China’s Trademark Law will be deliberated on this week at the National People’s Congress. For more about the revisions and what they mean for you, join us for this webinar in September.
This author argues that the USPTO could reduce patent pendency by allowing applicants to more easily proceed with claims an examiner has already identified as patentable.
Trademark professionals in the US sometimes suggest that a more descriptive mark may be registrable if stylized, but this Federal Court decision in Canada suggests the strategy might not work so well north of the border, particularly if the design itself isn’t distinctive.
As China works to strengthen its IP laws and reputation, Chinese companies are leveraging patents to be more competitive in the global marketplace.
By Design
New goal for companies: create logo marks so distinctive that they’re recognizable even when covered up.
The Federal Circuit is considering two design patent cases that could clarify how similar product designs must be before one infringes the other.
Speaking of designs, if you have any in your portfolio, your docketing software should have a space, erm, designed just for them.
Sound and Fury
The songwriter for Ricky Martin’s “Vida” has had new life breathed into his copyright infringement suit.
Vietnam has been arresting alleged perpetrators of music and software copyright infringement.
What can Taylor Swift’s LIFE OF A SHOWGIRL trademark dispute tell us about creative expression and commercial identity?
Despite longstanding disputes, Tejano band Jaime y Los Chamacos has been granted a USPTO trademark registration for the name.
CBS has reached a settlement with Lee Mendelson Film Productions, the owner of the copyrights to the Peanuts song that Stephen Colbert had played during the final episode of his show. The undisclosed settlement amount is reported to have been donated to World Central Kitchen.
Professional Concerns
BakerHostetler—which has nothing to do with either cakes or housing for youth—is looking for a trademark paralegal.
I can’t think of a reason why you wouldn’t want Tubi AGC of sales for this streaming platform.
A little birdie told me about this AGC position at the Ladies Professional Golf Association, and I figured you’d be eagle to hear about it since it’s parfect for you.
Whether you’re a job hunter or a job Huntress, this general counsel opening could be great for you.
Have an open role on your team? Email us at [email protected], and we’ll try to get it in our next newsletter!
Odds & Ends
California has some proposals for amending its Rules of Professional Conduct to address AI.
In the company’s lifetime, LG has filed for 100,000 patents. For context, that’s about 17% of the annual number of patent applications the USPTO receives per year.
This controversy about the ownership of a specific cosmetic application technique shows there’s more to cosmetics IP than appears at first blush.
We all remember NFTs, which made headlines a few years ago. This company has been granted a patent for technology that would embed the token into the hardware. I guess you could say they’ve token the tech and expanded on it.
This post about AI-related lawsuits makes me think about that Alan Jackson song from the ’90s, and now I’ve adapted the lyrics to: “Who’s suing whom? Who’s scrapin’ too? And who won’t even share anymore?” It might now be stuck in your head as well.