Trademarks are legal protection that allow the owner to warn others against unauthorized use or theft of ideas. What do the trademark symbols represent? There are three different symbols. The trademark symbols (TM and SM) are both referred to as trademarks, but there...
The trademark opposition/cancellation process
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has a set procedure for challenging a trademark application or seeking the cancellation of an already granted trademark. These are the avenues for a business or individual who believes another party is attempting to infringe on...
Bitter fight over sweet treats
Few things conjure up sweet memories of childhood better than an Oreo cookie. Chomping down on the two dark wafers and sweet in-between crème filling elicits contented sighs around the world. Not everyone is content on the subject of Oreos, however. A division of the...
Chicago sues coffee company over logo
The Chicago Fire Department says it has three main jobs: promote fire safety, provide emergency care and extinguish fires. You’ll notice that brewing coffee for the city’s 2.7 million residents is not on the list. The city of Chicago made that point clear in a...
Bic burns counterfeit lighter makers
Back in the day, critics bemoaned Bic lighters as symbols of disposable culture. Yet the inexpensive, disposable lighters were a big hit upon their introduction in the 1970s and remain popular today. That popularity is undoubtedly the motivation behind the flow of...
