Justices asked to hear dog toy dispute. Will they bite?
November 20, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The company that makes Jack Daniel's is howling mad over a squeaking dog toy that parodies the whiskey's signature bottle. Now, the liquor company is barking at the door of the Supreme Court.
Dairy Queen loses lawsuit against bottled water company
June 24, 2022 GMTST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — American Dairy Queen Corp. has lost a federal lawsuit accusing a Massachusetts company of trademark infringement for attaching the name “Blizzard” to its bottled water.
The Star Tribune reported Friday that U.S.
Ohio State gets approval to trademark ‘The’ for merchandise
June 22, 2022 GMTCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State University has won its fight to trademark the word “The.”
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office approved the university’s request Tuesday. The school says it allows Ohio State to control use of “The” on branded products associated with and sold through athletics and collegiate channels, such as T-shirts, baseball caps and hats.
Fashion creators sue Hailey Bieber over her new brand’s name
June 21, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Two former college roommates who created a successful clothing line under the “Rhode” trademark sued model Hailey Bieber on Tuesday, saying she’s creating market confusion by marketing a skin care line under the Rhode name.
Seattle Space Needle sues coffee chain over use of logo
June 11, 2022 GMTSEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Space Needle has sued a local coffee chain for using its trademarked logo in coffee shop branding and merchandise.
The logo for Local Coffee Spot, which has four locations in the Seattle area, features a mug of hot coffee whose rising steam bears striking resemblance to the iconic tower’s own logo used on branded merchandise, the Seattle Times reported.
Customs seizes counterfeit 1936 Red Wings’ Stanley Cup rings
April 26, 2022 GMTCHAMPLAIN, N.Y. (AP) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection has seized 10 counterfeit Stanley Cup rings for the 1936 Detroit Red Wings championship team due to trademark violations, the agency announced Tuesday.
Judge tosses Girl Scouts’ recruitment suit vs. Boy Scouts
April 7, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge rejected Girl Scouts' claims Thursday that the Boy Scouts created marketplace confusion and damaged their recruitment efforts by using words like “scouts” and “scouting” in recruitment drives.
Syracuse University inks NIL deal with Brandr Group
March 2, 2022 GMTSYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Syracuse University has signed a group licensing agreement with The Brandr Group to promote its athletes.
The partnership announced Wednesday creates new opportunities for the university's athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness (NIL) using the school’s official trademarks and logos.
Original USFL execs sue Fox over new league’s branding
March 1, 2022 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — A group of former team owners and executives from the original USFL is suing Fox Sports to halt the launch of the new spring football league with the same name, alleging the new USFL is inappropriately using the old league's branding.
UEFA warms to ‘Champignons League’ pizza, no trademark beef
February 1, 2022 GMTBERLIN (AP) — The Champignons League pizza is fine with UEFA after all.
European soccer’s governing body said Tuesday it does not mind that a German frozen pizza manufacturer is referencing the Champions League with one of its cheesy offerings.
Judge pokes holes in Swiss cheesemakers’ legal arguments
January 10, 2022 GMTFALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — Gruyere cheese does not have to come from the Gruyere region of Europe to be sold under the gruyere name, a federal judge has ruled.
A consortium of Swiss and French cheesemakers from the region around the town of Gruyeres, Switzerland, sued in U.S.
Yuengling accuses Bud Light of trampling on trademark
December 22, 2021 GMTA trademark tiff between America’s oldest beer maker and America's best-selling beer brand appears to be over before it really began.
Last week, D.G. Yuengling & Son, the nearly 200-year-old Pennsylvania-based brewer, demanded that its much larger rival, Anheuser-Busch, stop using a tagline for its forthcoming Bud Light Next zero-carb beer, noting it closely resembled one already trademarked by Yuengling.
Trademark tussle: Ole Miss objects to similar New Miss logo
December 18, 2021 GMTJACKSON, Miss. (AP) — James Meredith says he conquered white supremacy and created a new Mississippi 59 years ago when he became the first Black student to enroll in the University of Mississippi — a school whose longstanding nickname, Ole Miss, is rooted in plantation vernacular of the Confederacy.
NASCAR denounces ‘Let’s go, Brandon’ conservative rally cry
November 5, 2021 GMTAVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) — NASCAR denounced its association with the “Let's go, Brandon” political cry being used across the country as an insult directed at President Joe Biden.
Which Cleveland Guardians? Roller derby team sues MLB team
October 27, 2021 GMTCLEVELAND (AP) — A roller derby team that has called itself the Cleveland Guardians since 2013 sued the city's Major League Baseball team in federal court in Cleveland on Wednesday alleging that the switch from Indians to Guardians infringes on its trademark.
Evel Knievel’s son loses Disney Duke Caboom trademark case
September 29, 2021 GMTLAS VEGAS (AP) — A judge dismissed a trademark infringement lawsuit filed by Evel Knievel’s son a year ago against the Walt Disney Co. and movie company Pixar over a “Toy Story 4” daredevil character named Duke Caboom.
University opposes state’s move to trademark ‘Team Kentucky’
August 17, 2021 GMTFRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The University of Kentucky is opposing a move by the state to trademark the phrase “Team Kentucky" for use on clothing products.
The university argued last week in a notice of opposition with a board in the United States Patent and Trademark Office that it would “likely ...
Maine authorities warn of scam about expiring trademarks
August 6, 2021 GMTAUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Authorities in Maine said Friday that businesses, nonprofit groups and government organizations should be wary of a scam about expiring trademarks.
Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey and Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said the scammers fraudulently warn entities that their trademarks are about to expire and request a renewal fee.
German federal court sides with Lindt in gold bunny battle
July 29, 2021 GMTBERLIN (AP) — A German federal court ruled Thursday that the golden shade of the foil wrap on Lindt & Spruengli's Gold Bunny, a popular chocolate Easter bunny, enjoys protected status.
The Federal Court of Justice delivered its verdict in a battle between Switzerland's Lindt and a German company, Heilemann, which in 2018 also marketed a chocolate bunny in a gold foil wrap.
Group licensing: A new way for college athletes to cash in
July 20, 2021 GMTWith college athletes able to profit from their fame for the first time, North Carolina opened a new path Tuesday for its players to cash in: group licensing for official Tar Heels merchandise.
North Caorlina is believed to be the first school in the nation to launch a group licensing program for current athletes.
Greenpeace wins Australian court case against power company
June 8, 2021 GMTCANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s largest electricity generator on Tuesday largely lost its court case alleging that the environmental group Greenpeace had breached copyright and trademark laws by using its logo in a campaign that described the company as the nation’s “biggest climate polluter.”
Australian power generator takes Greenpeace to court
June 2, 2021 GMTCANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s largest electricity generator AGL Energy took Greenpeace to court on Wednesday alleging breaches of copyright and trademark laws in the environmental group’s campaign describing AGL as the nation’s “biggest climate polluter.”
Astronomer’s trademark suit against American Doll resolved
May 5, 2021 GMTMADISON, Wis. (AP) — A lawsuit filed by a Chicago astronomer who alleged the Wisconsin-based maker of American Girl dolls stole her likeness and name to create an astronaut doll has been dismissed after the two sides resolved the case...
Seattle Kraken hockey team sued by punk bar over name use
April 23, 2021 GMTSEATTLE (AP) — A Seattle punk rock bar is suing the city’s new NHL hockey team for $3.5 million, saying the Kraken’s choice of a name and plans to open a restaurant are harming the Kraken Bar & Lounge, which opened a decade before the team’s upcoming inaugural season...
Trademark ‘March Madness’ missing in women’s NCAA Tournament
March 23, 2021 GMTLooking around the basketball facilities hosting women's NCAA Tournament games there are no signs of March Madness...
Utah theme park sues Taylor Swift over ‘Evermore’ album
February 3, 2021 GMTSALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A theme park in Utah has filed a lawsuit against Taylor Swift that accuses her of trademark infringement...
Evel Knievel’s son suing Disney over ‘Toy Story 4’ character
September 25, 2020 GMTLAS VEGAS (AP) — Evel Knievel's son is on a collision course with the Walt Disney Co. and Pixar over a movie daredevil character named Duke Caboom...
Banksy loses EU trademark fight with greeting card company
September 17, 2020 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — Street artist Banksy has lost a legal battle with a a greeting card company along with a European Union trademark for one of his most iconic artworks...
Singer says lawsuit over Lady A name is ‘white privilege’
July 10, 2020 GMTSinger Anita White, who was sued by a country group over the use of the name Lady A, says the group is using their white privilege against her...
Country band Lady A files suit against singer with same name
July 8, 2020 GMTNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Country group Lady A, which dropped the word “Antebellum,” from their name because of the word's ties to slavery, has filed a lawsuit against a Black singer who has performed as Lady A for years...
Supreme Court: Booking.com can trademark its name
June 30, 2020 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court says travel website Booking.com can trademark its name, a ruling that also impacts other companies whose name is a generic word followed by “...
Astronomer files trademark lawsuit against American Girl
April 24, 2020 GMTMADISON, Wis. (AP) — An astronomer in Chicago has sued the maker of American Girl dolls, alleging the Wisconsin company stole her likeness and name to create its astronaut doll...
Panda and poke: Restaurant trademarks can stir legal fights
March 10, 2020 GMTGILBERT, Ariz. (AP) — When picking a name for their Asian-Mexican fusion restaurant in suburban Phoenix, Paul and Nicole Fan settled on “Panda Libre,” hoping the mix of China's iconic bear and the Spanish word for “free" would signal to customers the type of cuisine it offered...
Sports company sues in letter ‘O’ dispute with Ohio State
December 24, 2019 GMTCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Oh no: A New York-based sports network has turned to the federal courts in its trademark dispute with Ohio State University over use of the letter “O...
Vegas man gets prison time in China-US fake phone parts case
December 10, 2019 GMTLAS VEGAS (AP) — Prosecutors say a Las Vegas business owner was sentenced Monday in San Diego to six months in federal prison for conspiring to import counterfeit cellphone parts from China to the United States...
Ohio State denied request to trademark ‘The’ for merchandise
September 12, 2019 GMTCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State University has lost its fight to trademark the word "The."
NWHL reaches agreement to resume use of Beauts’ trademarks
August 20, 2019 GMTBUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The National Women's Hockey League has reached an "amicable agreement" to resume using the Buffalo Beauts' logos and trademarked materials in resolving its lawsuit with the team's former owners...
Ohio State University seeks to trademark the word ‘The’
August 14, 2019 GMTCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State University wants to trademark the word "The" when used as part of the school's name on university merchandise...
Company stirs debate with defense of Taco Tuesday trademark
August 14, 2019 GMTCHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — "Taco Tuesday" may be a well-known term for a themed dinner night out or at home, but as restaurants across the U...
Canadian firm sues Oklahoma marijuana dispensary over logo
July 25, 2019 GMTTULSA, Okla. (AP) — A Canadian animation studio and media company is suing an Oklahoma medical cannabis dispensary chain accusing it of infringing copyright by using a logo long-established in programming aimed at children...
Japan official to Kardashian West: Kimono belongs to Japan
July 2, 2019 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Japan's trade minister says the kimono belongs to Japan — not to Kim Kardashian West's shapewear brand...
Mongols biker club fined $500,000 but keeps logo trademarks
May 18, 2019 GMTSANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A federal judge on Friday fined the Mongols motorcycle club $500,000 in a racketeering and conspiracy case but refused the latest effort in a decade-long attempt by the government to take away the club's control over its logo — a Genghis Khan-style rider in sunglasses astride a chopper-style bike...
Guns N’ Roses sues brewery over its ‘Guns ‘N’ Rosé′ beer
May 10, 2019 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — The rock band Guns N' Roses is accusing a Colorado brewery of piggybacking off their fame to sell beer and merchandise...
Fashion brand ‘FUCT’ seeks trademark help from Supreme Court
April 13, 2019 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Erik Brunetti's four-letter fashion brand starts with an "F'' and rhymes with "duct...
Czech Budweiser brewer worries about Brexit impact
March 18, 2019 GMTCESKE BUDEJOVICE, Czech Republic (AP) — The Budejovicky Budvar brewery in the Czech Republic managed to survive a decades-long trademark battle over whether it could call its beer Budweiser...
China grants Ivanka Trump 5 trademarks amid trade talks
January 22, 2019 GMTSHANGHAI (AP) — The Chinese government has granted Ivanka Trump's company preliminary approval for another five trademarks this month, as her father's administration pushes ahead on trade negotiations with China.
Rihanna sues father over use of their last name for business
January 15, 2019 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Rihanna is suing her father over his use of their last name for a business.
In the lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court in Los Angeles, Rihanna, whose full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, says that her father, Ronald Fenty, and his partner have violated her trademark and falsely suggested that their business, Fenty Entertainment, is affiliated with her.
‘Adventure’ books publisher sues Netflix over ‘Bandersnatch’
January 15, 2019 GMTBURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — The company that publishes the "Choose Your Own Adventure" novels is suing Netflix, seeking $25 million in damages over an interactive film in the science fiction "Black Mirror" anthology series...
Jury decides to strip Mongols biker gang of trademark logo
January 12, 2019 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — A California jury decided Friday that the Mongols motorcycle gang should be stripped of its trademarked logo in a first-of-its-kind verdict, federal prosecutors said...
A Democratic House could probe Trump business ties abroad
November 7, 2018 GMTPARIS (AP) — President Donald Trump's Russian business ties, Jared Kushner's relationship with the Saudi crown prince, Ivanka Trump's Chinese trademarks — all could come under new scrutiny by the Democrats when they take over the House of Representatives...
China grants 18 trademarks in 2 months to Trump, daughter
November 7, 2018 GMTSHANGHAI (AP) — The Chinese government granted 18 trademarks to companies linked to President Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump over the last two months, Chinese public records show, raising concerns about conflicts of interest in the White House...
Congressional Dems take Trump to court over foreign favors
June 6, 2018 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Lawyers representing nearly 200 Democrats in Congress plan to argue in federal court Thursday that President Donald Trump is violating the Constitution by accepting foreign state favors without first seeking congressional approval...
Madison chocolatier wins 17 awards in international contest
May 18, 2018 GMTA Madison chocolatier won 17 awards in the Academy of Chocolate Awards and will be traveling to London to collect her honors.
Syovata Edari, a small-batch chocolatier and lawyer, is well-known for defending herself in a court case brought against her last year by the candy giant Mars for trademark infringement, and emerging victorious.
Jay-Z files ‘Jaybo’ trademark documents
January 19, 2018 GMTJay-Z has filed documents to trademark the Jaybo character from his music video “The Story of O.J.”
The 48-year-old rapper’s company S. Carter Enterprises is said to have made the move with the intention of putting the animated character on merchandise such as T-shirts and hats, as well as mugs and cocktail shakers, according to gossip website TMZ.
Velcro’s video implores consumers to say ‘hook and loop’
September 26, 2017 GMTCONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Lots of pop songs have hooks. This one has loops, too.
Velcro Cos. this week released a music video with a message it hopes will stick as well as its products: SHANGHAI (AP) — A Trump Organization company has applied for four new trademarks in the Asian gambling hub of Macau, including one for casinos, public records show...Trump company applies for casino trademark in Macau
August 7, 2017 GMT
Justices say law on offensive trademarks is unconstitutional
June 19, 2017 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday struck down part of a law that bans offensive trademarks, ruling in favor of an Asian-American rock band called the Slants and giving a major boost to the Washington Redskins in their separate legal fight over the team name...
Mars Inc. suing Wisconsin woman over her brand of chocolates
April 4, 2017 GMTMILWAUKEE (AP) — Candy maker Mars Inc. is suing a Wisconsin woman over chocolates she is selling under a name that the company argues is "confusingly similar" to its cocoa extract supplements called CocoaVia...
Trump has casino trademark in Jordan but gambling is illegal
March 28, 2017 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The president of the United States holds a trademark in Jordan for a Donald Trump casino, despite the fact that gambling is illegal in the kingdom...
Mexico OKs new Trump trademarks for hotels and tourism
March 12, 2017 GMTMEXICO CITY (AP) — On Feb. 19, 2016, at a campaign rally in North Charleston, South Carolina, then-candidate Donald Trump gave a stump speech in which he railed against American jobs moving to Mexico: "We lose our jobs, we close our factories, Mexico gets all of the work," he said.