I ♡ Trademarks NewsletterIssue #493
Bri Van Til | August 25, 2026
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Likelihood of Confusion
Lady Gaga has successfully defended her use of MAYHEM against a surfing company’s allegations of trademark infringement. I’m glad she wasn’t tide up in court for a long time over this. But when she left the courtroom, do you think she waved at the cameras just to rub it in a little? Or did she just put on her poker face?
Even if you can successfully demonstrate confusion and be granted a substantial award for a client, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll get the money.
Have you ever wondered how IKEA comes up with its product names? SENSUELL probably not know any more than I did, you’re FINNALA going to understand because they’ve published a whole explanation. Now even if you’ve SLÄKT on finding out about it before, you won’t LACK knowledge about how they come up with their names.
Asia Like It
The comment period for India’s new Draft Manual of Trade Marks Practice and Procedure is now open. Read the proposed changes here.
Korea is looking to recruit participants for the “K-Brand Government Certification System” to help reduce counterfeiting of Korean brands worldwide.
This webinar next month will walk you through China’s trademark reforms, focusing on how they’ll affect filers worldwide.
The Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister is calling for IP reform to address emerging technology.
Japan is working on rules to clarify and limit AI training data.
Backlash
The Church of Jesus Christ wants everyone to know that its trademark infringement lawsuit is about preventing confusion, “not trying to stop a podcaster who criticizes the faith.”
Louis Vuitton, which is steeped in controversy after its recent trademark infringement lawsuit and victory, is set to close a store in China.
John Oliver has raised over half a million dollars for charity through his Buc-Off merch sales. Meanwhile, the once-revered (beavered?) brand is facing a lot of buc-lash. And, in case you’re curious, here are some trademarks the giant has abandoned.
In case there wasn’t enough backlash against smart glasses already, a new Meta patent for tech to detect and identify faces and start recording automatically might push people over the edge. You could say the tech might bring the issues into focus.
Professional Concerns
Wedlake Bell, a UK law firm—not to be confused with what Scott Campbell did that one time—is looking for a trademark attorney.
Has your job turned out to be a (Lulu)lemon? Don’t let them squeeze any more work out of you. Get this brand protection manager gig instead.
It’s o-Fish-ial; this trademark paralegal position is open. I bet it’s a reel good place to work.
There’s a golden opportunity to work as a licensing and anticounterfeiting paralegal at LA28, the Olympic and Paralympic Games for 2028. Give ’em a ring. Or 5. Or really, just apply online.
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
You can now file motions for summary judgments and more in the USPTO’s TTAB Center.
If you missed my conversation last week with Sofya Nadgorny of Warner Music Group, you can watch the recording now. We discussed how Alt Legal helped her bring her trademark work in house and slash the company’s trademark spend in half.
UK retailer Harrods now owns the trademark rights for its name.
Our webinar in November will discuss the upcoming gTLDs and tell you domain things to do to prepare for this rare phenomenon.