I ♡ Trademarks NewsletterIssue #454
Bri Van Til | October 21, 2025
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Hey Now…
Michigan congressional hopeful Shelby Campbell is being sued for her “Soup for Change” campaign and its very familiar-looking design, but the candidate forecasts that the suit will “make [her] blow up and really win congress easily.”
If Strava’s patent infringement suit is successful, will Garmin’s exercise tracking devices continue to run? And will you if your app doesn’t track it?
A trademark registration in Spain may limit sales of items depicting the Bitcoin logo.
Steamboat Willie is in the public domain, so does that mean the film’s version of Mickey Mouse is free to use? A law firm is suing to affirm its right to use him in a commercial.
Fake Brains
This World Economic Forum article attempts to break down legal and moral frameworks for ownership of AI-produced materials.
Is AI a “mandatory tool” for lawyers? If so, how can it been implemented in a meaningful and ethical way?
The Third Circuit is hearing a case about whether using Westlaw’s notes to train AI is transformative fair use or copyright infringement, and amici are weighing in.
AI may interfere with client value and firm profitability. How can firms prevent that?
How might we see AI impacting trademark practice? Join us for this webinar next year to hear some ideas.
License Your Discomfort
Is royalty-free licensing anticompetitive conduct that could violate antitrust laws?
There’s talk of licensing TikTok’s algorithm as part of the deal to allow the social media company to operate in the US, but some are raising concerns about the proposal.
This past webinar about trademark license agreements is a great reminder of key provisions to be sure to include.
Rather than paying for licenses to use others’ works, some have resorted to having AI produce what they want, but this column reminds us that doesn’t necessarily avoid copyright concerns.
Professional Concerns
It’s o-Fish-al; this firm is looking for a trademark assistant.
Once you weigh all your options, you’ll see that this trademark associate position at Scale LLP is off the charts!
If you don’t fall in love with this commercial counsel position before you apply, I’m sure you will when you’re Turing the facility.
Whether your concepts of what you want your next employer to be are vague or Lucid, this senior counsel position is one to consider.
Gather all your information and apply for this commercial counsel position. You won’t have to Forage for various odd jobs any longer.
Have an open role on your team? Email us at [email protected], and we’ll try to get it in our next newsletter!
Odds and Ends
We had some issues with the email sending out last week’s newsletter. If you missed it, you can read the issue here.
Former USPTO Director Vidal has filed an amicus brief asking the CAFC to put a stop to the USPTO’s new IPR rules.
If you’re going to rebrand your law firm to take out your name, using puns instead is definitely the way to go.
There’s been a complete WIPOut and restructuring of the eMadrid platform. Join us on Thursday for this webinar to learn all about the changes.
What the 2(f)? Can acquired distinctiveness cause conflicts with UDRP rights?