Category Archives: Intellectual Property

Protect Your Brand: The Duty to Police Trademarks

Posted on by

So, you’ve found and registered a unique brand.  Congratulations!  That’s a major accomplishment!  However, once you have rights in a brand, you need to make sure you keep those rights in tact to protect the brand.

Although you are not required to prosecute (or even act immediately against) every potential infringer of your brands, you do have a legal duty to protect against infringement and act reasonably in protecting your trademark rights.  If you fail to properly “police” your marks, you risk diminishing the value of your brand, damaging your goodwill, and weakening your mark.police-294107_1280

In extreme cases, failure to police a mark can lead to abandonment of all trademark rights in the mark.  For example, ASPIRIN used to be a brand name owed by Bayer and ESCALATOR used to be owned by Otis Elevator Company…but these marks became so widely used as the name of the underlying products themselves that the marks became generic terms for those products, and both companies eventually lost their trademark rights in the names.  (Unlike a trademark, a generic name consists of the word commonly used to identify a product.  For example, the terms “computer,” “software” and “internet” are generic names and anyone is free to use them.)

To protect your marks and prevent competitors from using confusingly similar marks that could affect your reputation and bottom line, you should implement a plan to monitor your marks and enforce your rights when necessary.

To help you monitor your marks, you may want to sign up for Watch Services that will notify you of potential issues, such as new trademarks filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Secretary of State Offices or in foreign countries, as well as domain name filings, common law marks and corporate filings.  At the very least, you may want to set up Google Alerts to monitor mentions of your brand or products on the Internet.  If you have licensed any of your marks to third parties, you should monitor your licensees’ use of your marks as well.

In the event you become aware of a potential infringing or confusingly similar mark, you can determine (in consultation with your trademark attorney) what, if any, actions you may want to take to protect your trademark rights.  Depending on the situation, you may decide to send a cease and desist letter to the infringing party, file an Opposition or Cancellation action with the USPTO, file a lawsuit in State or Federal Court, pursue a combination of these options, or decide on a different strategy.

 

Is Coke’s Trade Secret Out of the Can?

Posted on by

stamp-143799_1280In early 2011, the public radio show This American Life created an international media frenzy when it revealed what it believed to be the original recipe for Coca-Cola.

The “secret formula” for Coca-Cola — which has been locked away in a bank vault at the Trust Company Bank in Atlanta since at least 1925 — is one of the most famous and highly guarded trade secrets in the world.  Supposedly, only two company executives know the recipe at any one time and they are never allowed to fly on an airplane together in case of a crash.  (For more on the rumors and lore surrounding Coke’s secret formula, visit urban myth-busing website Snopes.com.) So, after 125 years of secrecy, how did a public radio show get hold of such a well-protected and highly-coveted corporate gem?  Did This American Life break into the vault or kidnap and tickle-torture one of the two executives until he talked?  No.  They opened a newspaper.  Apparently, the photo used to illustrate the story published in The Atlanta Journal and Constitution on February 18, 1979, was a hand-written copy of (Coke’s inventor) John Pemberton’s recipe circa 1886.  Talk about adding insult to injury!

This American Life has clarified its position on the recipe printed in the paper, stating that it believes the recipe is Pemberton’s original recipe or a version of Coca-Cola that he made either before or after the product hit the market in 1886, and not the recipe used today.  Perhaps this is because they tested the recipe and determined that it wasn’t quite the same as the Coca-Cola we know today, and, of course, The Coca-Cola Company denies that the secret is out.

Although you may not go to quite the lengths taken by The Coca-Cola Company to protect your trade secrets, you should consider what measures (if any) you are taking to safeguard your “information, including a formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method, technique or process that: (i) derives independent economic value, actual or potential, from not being generally known to, and not being readily ascertainable by proper means by other persons who can obtain economic value from its disclosure or use, and (ii) is the subject of efforts that are reasonable under the circumstances to maintain its secrecy.” (Definition from Uniform Trade Secrets Act.)

Trade secrets — which often include recipes, sales methods, distribution methods, consumer profiles, advertising strategies, lists of suppliers and clients, and manufacturing processes — provide an enterprise a competitive edge and can last for as long as they are kept secret.  So, you would never want to include your trade secrets in a copyright or patent application, as they will be disclosed once the application or registration is published.

Although whether something truly constitutes a trade secret will depend on the circumstances of each individual case, for something to qualify and be protected as a trade secret:

  • The information must be secret (i.e., it is not generally known among, or readily accessible to, circles that normally deal with the type of information in question).
  • It must have commercial value because it is a secret.
  • It must have been subject to reasonable steps by the rightful holder of the information to keep it secret (e.g., through confidentiality agreements).

 

Why Should I Register My Copyrights?

Posted on by

CopyrightThe moment you create and write down, record, photograph or otherwise “fix” your creative work in “any tangible medium of expression,” you automatically have copyright protection in that work under the United States Copyright Act.  Although filing an application for registration of your work with the U.S. Copyright Office is not required for this protection, the benefits of registration could be substantial.

For example, if you wait until your work has been infringed and the infringement occurs more than 3 months after you first made the work publicly available, then you will not be able to obtain statutory damages or attorney’s fees for the infringement, and you’ll have to prove actual damages instead.  This can make or break your chances of recovering any money from the infringer, as actual damages can be difficult to prove and may not exist in certain situations.

Additionally, before you can bring a lawsuit for copyright infringement, you must have a copyright registration for the work that has been infringed.  This means that you could end up filing a copyright application after the infringement occurs and end up paying a much higher filing fee without the main benefits you would have had had you filed the application before the infringement occurred.

Here’s a list of some of the benefits of registration:

  • If registration is made within 3 months after publication of the work OR prior to an infringement of the work, statutory damages and attorney’s fees will be available to the copyright owner in court actions. Otherwise, only an award of actual damages and profits is available to the copyright owner.
  • Before an infringement suit may be filed in court, registration is necessary for works of U. S. origin.
  • Registration establishes a public record of the copyright claim.
  • If made before or within 5 years of publication, registration will establish prima facie evidence in court of the validity of the copyright and of the facts stated in the certificate.
  • Registration allows the owner of the copyright to record the registration with the U. S. Customs Service for protection against the importation of infringing copies.

Registration may be made at any time within the life of the copyright. An application for copyright registration contains three essential elements: (1) a completed application form, (2) a nonrefundable filing fee ($35-$55), and (3) a nonreturnable deposit—that is, a copy or copies of the work being registered and “deposited” with the Copyright Office.

As the U.S. is a member to a number of international treaties related to copyright protection, your U.S. copyright rights will be recognized in most countries throughout the world, and vice versa.

 

Misleading and Unsolicited Trademark Service and Fee Requests

Posted on by

Filing a trademark application in the United States or a foreign country typically results in trademark owners receiving unsolicited notices, invoices, and other communications from U.S. and foreign companies requesting fees for trademark-related services, such as trademark monitoring and document filing.  Although these documents and invoices often look “official” and contain customer-specific information (such as the trademark serial or registration number and owner name), companies that offer these services are not affiliated or associated with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) or any other federal agency.car-44144_1280

If you receive an invoice related to your trademarks, you should verify its authenticity with your trademark attorney, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) or the Intellectual Property Office through which your mark is registered before remitting payment and to discuss your options in more detail.

Unless the communication comes directly from (1) the USPTO, (2) a foreign trademark agency equivalent, or (3) your trademark attorney, these notices and invoices are likely unsolicited third party advertisements for services that you may not need or that may not provide you with adequate protection for your trademarks.  The USPTO and the WIPO have issued warnings related to these unsolicited requests for payment of fees.  WIPO has databases containing samples of misleading invoices and similar announcements issued by various countries.

You may file a complaint about these types of solicitations with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

 

How to Protect Titles of Creative Works

Posted on by

Although movies, TV shows, art, books, musibooks-498422_1280c, lyrics and recordings are protected by copyright, the titles, names and tag lines associated with these types of creative works do not qualify for copyright protection. However, in certain instances, titles of creative works may be protectable as trademarks.

For example, you cannot register a trademark for the title, or a portion of a title, of a single creative work (such as a book, a television episode, a film, a live theatre production, or a phonograph record).  [NOTE: Computer software and computer games are not treated as single creative works.]

However, if the title has been (or will be) used in connection with a series of creative works (e.g., a series of books, the second edition of a book with significant changes, a periodically issued magazine, a television or movie series, a series of live performances [such as by a musical artist], educational seminars, or a continuing radio program), it may constitute a mark for either entertainment or educational services.

For more information about how to protect titles, here’s an article I wrote entitled “A Different Kind of Title Insurance: How to Protect Titles of Creative Works” that was published in Bloomberg BNA’s Patent, Trademark and Copyright Journal.

 

Trademark Notices

Posted on by

Use of the ™ or SM Symbols. Unless and until you obtain a federal trademark registration for your mark(s), you can (and should) use the ™ or SM (for trademark and service mark, respectively) symbol in connection with your marks to indicate to others that you claim rights in the marks.

You do not need to have filed a state or federal trademark application or obtained a trademark registration to use the ™ or SM symbol, as common law trademark protection subsists from the time a mark is first used in commerce…although there are several benefits to registration.

You may also want to include a trademark notice on your documents and website.

 Example: I’M WITH THE B(R)AND SM is a service mark of Danica L. Mathes. registered-98574_1280

Use of the Federal Registration Symbol ®.  You cannot use the federal registration symbol ® until you receive a federal registration certificate from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Even if you have a pending trademark application, the registration symbol may not be used before the mark has actually registered. The federal registration symbol should only be used on goods or services that are the subject of the federal trademark registration.

You may also want to include a trademark notice on your documents and website.

Example: CAST A BIG SHADOW.® is a registered service mark of Bell Nunnally & Martin LLP.

NOTE:  JUST BECAUSE A MARK IS REGISTERED FOR ONE ITEM DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN USE THE ® FOR OTHER ITEMS.  If a specific product or service is not listed in the identification of goods/services for a registered mark, then ™ or SM would be the correct notice to use in that case.

Trademark Notices in Other Countries. Some countries have severe civil and criminal penalties for improper use of trademark registration symbols.  Therefore, you should not use ® in countries where your marks have not been registered.  If you are unsure if a trademark is registered in a particular country, you should use the ™ or SM symbol.

Use of Third Party Marks.  You should observe the trademark ownership of others by including the following:

“[Enter trademark name here] is a [registered] trademark of [enter trademark owner’s name].”

If the trademark owner information is unknown, you may want to include the following:

“All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. [Company Name or Your Name] is in no way endorsed, sponsored, approved by, or otherwise affiliated with the owners of such trademarks.”

NOTE: IN MANY INSTANCES, YOU WILL LIKELY NEED PERMISSION FROM THE OWNER OF A MARK IN ORDER TO USE THAT PARTY’S MARK…especially if use of a third party mark is likely to lead consumers to believe that there is an affiliation, connection or association with the third party mark or that the owner of the third party mark sponsors, approves or originates your products, services or commercial activities.

Copyright Notices

Posted on by

To prevent unauthorized use or copying of your works, you should always include a copyright notice on all documents, websites and other creative works.

Although the use of a copyright notice is not required under U.S. law for works published after March 1, 1989, it’s a good way to potentially deter would-be infringers.

You do not need to have filed a copyright application or obtained a copyright registration to use the ©, as copyright protection subsists from the time the work is fixed in any tangible medium of expression (e.g., written down, recorded, etc.)…although there are several benefits to registration.

Use of a copycopyright-98570_1280right notice informs the public that the work is protected by copyright, identifies the copyright owner, and shows the year of first publication. Furthermore, in the event that a work is infringed, if a proper notice of copyright appears on the published copy or copies to which a defendant in a copyright infringement suit had access, then the alleged infringer will not be able to rely on a defense based on innocent infringement in mitigation of actual or statutory damages.

A copyright notice should contain the following:

  1. The symbol © (the letter C in a circle) or the word “Copyright”;
  2. The year of first publication of the work. In the case of compilations or derivative works incorporating previously published material, the year of first publication of the compilation or derivative work is sufficient; and
  3. The name of the owner of copyright in the work, or an abbreviation by which the name can be recognized, or a generally known alternative designation of the owner.

Examples:

© 2015 Danica L. Mathes.  All rights reserved.

© 2015 Bell Nunnally & Martin LLP

 

Intellectual Property Overview

Posted on by

Here’s a quick overview about copyrights, trademarks, patents and other types of intellectual property…

COPYRIGHTS –iStock_000040071288Medium Copyrights protect creative works.

Technically, copyrights protect “original works of authorship” that are “fixed in any tangible medium of expression,” such as literary and musical works; pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works; computer software; motion pictures and other audiovisual works; sound recordings; and architectural works. Copyright protection exists from the moment the work is written down, recorded, photographed, etc.

Copyright protection usually lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years. Copyrights are protected by U.S. federal law (17 U.S.C. § 101 et seq.) and international treaty. (Note: You do not have to file for a copyright registration to have federal copyright protection…but there are several advantages to obtaining a registration.)  For more information, visit www.copyright.gov.

TRADEMARKS – Trademarks are brand names and logos that are used on products or in connection with services.

A trademark is a word, phrase, name, slogan, tagline, logo, domain name, symbol, device, or any combination of these, which is used (or intended to be used) in commerce to identify and distinguish the goods or services of one entity from those sold or provided by others, and to indicate the source of the goods or services. A trademark also stands as a symbol of the quality which people expect in products sold and services provided in connection with a mark.

Trademarks can include trade names, logos, domain names, 800 numbers, advertising slogans, jingles, and store designs.

Trademark protection can last as long as a mark is used in commerce. Trademarks are protected by common law, state law, U.S. federal law (15 U.S.C. §§ 1051-1141n) and the laws of individual foreign countries. For more information, visit http://www.uspto.gov/.

Service Marks – A service mark is basically the same as a trademark except that it identifies a service instead of a product. For practical purposes, the same rules apply to service marks as apply to trademarks.

Trade Dress – A product’s trade dress, which includes product features and configurations such as shape, texture, size, color and packaging, may also be protected if it is “nonfunctional.” A feature is functional if it is necessary to a product’s utility, or affects its cost and/or method of manufacture. However, if other, different physical features can perform the same function without sacrificing a functional advantage, the design may be considered nonfunctional.

Trade Names – A trade name is the name under which an entity does business, such as Bell Nunnally & Martin LLP.  A trade name encompasses the reputation of the entire business while trademarks and service marks identify specific products and services sold by that business. No particular notice or usage is required for trade names.  It is usually not proper to use the trademark symbol with the trade name.

PATENTS – Patents protect inventions and improvements to existing inventions.

A patent is a property right granted to an inventor by the government.  Patents can be granted to anyone who “invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof.” Patents confer the right “to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling” the invention in or “importing” the invention into the U.S. for a limited time in exchange for public disclosure of the invention when the patent is granted.

Utility Patents – A utility patent covers an invention of a new and useful process, machine, article of manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof.  (Protection lasts 20 years from patent application filing date.)

Design Patents – A design patent covers a new, original, and ornamental design for an article of manufacture.  (Protection lasts 14 years from date patent issues.)

Patents are protected by U.S. federal law (35 U.S.C. § 1 et seq.) and the laws of individual foreign countries. For more information, visit http://www.uspto.gov/.

TRADE SECRETS – A trade secret generally includes any information that derives independent economic value from not being generally known or reasonably ascertainable, and is the subject of reasonable efforts to maintain its secrecy.

Trade secret protection can last as long as the secret is kept. Trademarks are protected by common law, state law (most states follow the Uniform Trade Secret Protection Act), U.S. federal law (18 U.S.C. § 1839(3)) and the laws of individual foreign countries.  Practically, trade secrets are usually maintained through nondisclosure and noncompete agreements.