IP: Trademarks

Why Is Trader Joe’s Suing Its Best Customer?

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the "Trader Joe's" grocery chain is suing a guy who has spent more than $350,000 at its stores in the past two years, and many stores have put up his picture in an effort…


Great Response to a “Prank” Cease-and-Desist Letter

Buzzfeed's question, "Is This The Best Response To A Cease And Desist Letter Ever?," prompted some debate this morning, although it is one of those debates that is not really necessary (which is why we had it on Twitter) because…



Chubby Checker Suing Over “The Chubby Checker”

Chubby Checker, a.k.a. Ernest Evans, a.k.a. the guy who sang "The Twist," is suing the makers and sellers of a smartphone app for Palm devices known as "The Chubby Checker" for trademark infringement. While possibly the most dramatic revelation resulting…



UPDATE: More on Your Freedom to Tebow

As I mentioned the other day, many media outlets have been reporting incorrectly that Tim Tebow had been granted a trademark on the act of "Tebowing," not just the term. To some extent this may have been a misunderstanding of…


Tebow Trademarks “Tebowing”?

Photo: AP Various reports, like this one at the Washington Times, have said that Jets quarterback Tim Tebow has trademarked the act of "Tebowing," but I don't think that's true. He has certainly trademarked the word "Tebowing" for use in a variety…



Hooray for Jack Daniels (and Its Lawyers)

Especially given the recent Charles Carreon nastiness, it is nice to get a reminder that many lawyers are not (and need not be) assholes. Cease-and-desist letters are a frequent source of evidence to the contrary. These are often necessary in…