Fort Lauderdale Sports, IP & Entertainment Law Attorneys | Heitner Legal
Bill Raftery is a highly successful broadcaster known for his many catchphrases, the most prominent ones being “Onions” and “With a Kiss.” He has become one of basketball’s favorites off the court and was named to the Final Four broadcast team this past year. Raftery came to HEITNER LEGAL wondering if he could possibly trademark a […]
Adidas has been at the center of several intellectual property claims the past few years involving its famous three-stripe pattern allegedly being imitated by competing shoe companies. This time, the shoe giant isn’t just alleging that its logo was copied, but rather, an entire shoe design. Earlier this week, Adidas filed a complaint in the […]
With the continued growth of athletes and celebrities as role models in addition to the continued importance of intellectual property in their lives, it raises the question of whether they can trademark their names. “Under §2(e)(f) of the Trademark Act, a mark that is primarily a surname [family name] is not registrable on the Principal […]
Recently, former San Diego Chargers and Buffalo Bills linebacker, Shawne Merriman, and his company, Lights Out Holdings, LLC, moved for summary judgment in their fight to prohibit Nike from using or associating with Merriman’s nickname, “Lights Out.” In the motion, Merriman seeks up to $18 million in statutory damages, in addition to attorneys’ fees and […]
HEITNER LEGAL filed the trademark application and handled all necessary follow-up tasks with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for New England Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount. The trademark, ‘Blount Force Trauma’ has received full registration on the principal register. Blount will be able to move forward with federal protection when he uses the phrase […]
Popular sports commentator Bill Raftery is well known for his use of flamboyant words and phrases on the air. The most popular of said words and phrases include “Onions” and “With a Kiss.” When Raftery came to HEITNER LEGAL inquiring whether he could seek trademark protection of each, HEITNER LEGAL quickly got to work regarding […]
Johnny Manziel, also known as “Johnny Football,” has not yet taken a National Football League regular season snap. However, that has not stopped the Heisman Trophy winner from filing applications in an effort to seek federal trademark protection over a variety of phrases. Of course, “Johnny Football” is one of the many phrases that Manziel […]
For BYU fans hoping to make use of apparel sporting the university’s football team’s slogan for the upcoming 2014 season, unfortunately, you are out of luck. This past week, BYU officials discontinued sale of merchandise containing the slogan “Rise As One,” removing the items from store shelves and online listings. The discontinuation of BYU’s use […]
On the heels of the recent Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) decision to cancel six federally registered trademarks of the Washington Redskins, a Native American group has stated its intention to file a federal lawsuit against the Cleveland Indians. The advocacy group, People Not Mascots, led by Robert Roche, plans to initiate litigation challenging […]
This past week, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) cancelled the federal trademark registration of the Washington Redskins based upon the belief that the team name and logo are disparaging to Native Americans. The Lanham Act contains the federal statutes that govern trademark law throughout the United States. Pursuant to Section 2 found therein, […]
Those familiar with HBO’s hit show, Game of Thrones, undoubtedly are familiar with the term “Milk of the Poppy,” the medical drink used as both a painkiller and an anesthetic to help those throughout the Seven Kingdoms who have suffered from severe injuries. Recently, the term was used in the Season Four finale, “The Children,” […]
This past week, Under Armour and Nike Inc. reached a settlement agreement regarding the trademark infringement lawsuit initiated by Under Armour for Nike’s alleged illegal use of the “I Will” slogan. As a result, Under Armour’s complaint was dismissed Monday, February 10, pursuant to an approved court order by a Baltimore U.S. District Judge—almost one […]