I ♡ Trademarks NewsletterIssue #367
Bri Van Til | January 09, 2024
Happy New Year!
If you missed our last webinar of the 2023 where Sarah Cohen provided an overview of top trademark cases from the year, read about it and watch the recording here.
Sarah covered these, of course, but here’s an overview of SCOTUS’s trademark decisions last year and also a preview of what to expect this year.
I’m sure you’ve seen tons of best-of lists, but this list of the worst copyright suits of 2023 is pretty great.
Have a resolution to grow your business? Don’t miss Phil Cox’s webinar tomorrow about how you can tap into your existing network.
Public Works
With a new year comes a new list of works that have entered the public domain. Here’s a list of this year’s newly public works.
While the jokes about Steamboat Willie entering the public domain have been plentiful this past year (including this bit on Last Week Tonight), it’s worth explaining to clients what it actually means.
It’s fair to say that Mickey Mouse, Disney, and the public domain have been engaged in an awkward “95-year love triangle.”
Unsurprisingly, Mickey Mouse is appearing in memes and all sorts of media already.
A Word of Caution
A Tolkien fan fiction writer’s copyright infringement lawsuit backfired when he was countersued, and now he’s been ordered to pay $134k.
Country music singer Luke Combs faced a lot of criticism when his legal team sued a fan with congestive heart failure for selling items using his likeness. Combs repudiated the action and is working to help the fan.
This lawsuit may answer the question of whether copying others’ motions constitutes copyright infringement.
Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen says he unwittingly submitted false cases because he mistook Google Bard for a search engine.
Professional Concerns
I’m pretty sure the folks at Equinox work more than two days a year, but just think for a moment how amazing that would be. Anyway, go join their team as IP and privacy counsel.
ServiceNow—which sounds like the demands of the bar rush crowd at Denny’s—is looking for associate trademark counsel.
Part of me wants to say to Bumble down to this company to apply to be IP counsel, but I don’t imagine you’d move that awkwardly. Instead, I guess I’ll say you’ll bee happy working there.
Once you’re hired as senior IP counsel at Danone, you can post to tell everyone yogurt the job!
Checking out this IP counsel position at the Broad Institute might help you narrow your search.
If you’re Pinterested in this product and commercial counsel position, you should apply now. Or you could just pin it so that the whole world sees you’re looking and gets too intimidated to apply.
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
Curious about what features we’re working on to improve your docketing? Check out this preview!
Here’s a great resource for those looking to become trademark paralegals. Another great resource? Sign up for my next Q&A session with rockstar TMA (and INTA Vice President) Deborah Hampton. You’ll soon learn why we call the series Deboracle!
This interesting case about the font used in Shake Shack’s logo is worth checking out.
Don’t miss this Thursday’s webinar where Steve Cooper explains what trademark lawyers need to know about design patents.