What are Common Law Trademark Rights?

Trademarks can be an extremely valuable asset for your business. Think about the value tied to Nike’s Swoosh or the McDonald’s “golden arches.” Protecting the value behind these trademarks is one important step towards building a wall around your company’s intellectual property. Many people don’t realize that certain trademark rights arise automatically once you begin using a trademark. Today’s post highlights these automatic rights, also known as common law trademark rights.

Common law trademark rights versus registered federal and state trademark rights

“Common law” is a term for the rights that have developed through case law versus statutes or codes. Common law trademark rights arise automatically and give the owner of a particular trademark certain rights (see below) without the need to...

— Gavin Johnson

Intellectual Property

How to Transfer Ownership of Trademarks

There are a variety of reasons why you may want to transfer ownership of your federally registered trademark (or acquire ownership of a trademark). For example, trademarks may need to be assigned during a business acquisition or as part of a reorganization. Today’s post discusses how to transfer ownership of trademarks and why you should ensure you transfer your trademarks correctly.

Documenting the Trademark Transfer with a Transfer (Assignment) Agreement

Transferring your trademark includes two major steps: documenting the transfer between the parties and then documenting the transfer with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Before you can document your transfer with the USPTO, you’ll need to put together a trademark transfer (or assignment) agreement. This document will lay out the terms...

— Gavin Johnson

Intellectual Property

USPTO Cancels Washington Redskins’ Trademark Registrations

Last week, the United States Patent and Trademark Office cancelled six federal trademark registrations for the Washington Redskins name, ruling that the name is “disparaging to Native Americans” and thus cannot receive trademark protection under federal law, which prohibits the protection of offensive or disparaging language. “We decide, based on the evidence properly before us, that these registrations must be cancelled because they were disparaging to Native Americans at the respective times they were registered,” the Trademark Trial and Appeal board wrote in its opinion.

For years now, pressure from various Native American groups has been placed on Daniel Snyder, owner of the Washington Redskins, to change the name of the team due to its connotation as a racial slur. After last week’s ruling by...

— Collin Roberts

Intellectual Property

Trademarks: Should You Register at the State or Federal Level?

Businesses often are faced with the choice of whether to register a trademark or service mark with a state or the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). It is well known that state registrations tend to be less expensive and often take less time to apply for and receive confirmation that the mark has been registered. However, there are key benefits to registering your trademark with the USPTO. Today’s post highlights those key benefits of federally registered trademarks and service marks, and provides helpful resources for registering your trademark at the state and federal level.

The Lanham Act First, let’s start with the basics. Under the Lanham Act, a person who obtains a federal registration that predates another person’s use of...

— Gavin Johnson