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Embedded Copyrights – The Not-So-Funny Side of Memes

David Baker

Jun 9, 2022
3 min

Embedded Copyrights – The Not-So-Funny Side of Memes

Do you ever forward memes to your coworkers and social media friends? It might be a picture of a kitten hanging from a branch and being told to just “hang in there” or it might be a grumpy cat who “hates Mondays” or it might not even feature a picture of a cat. It might be a photo of actor Gene Wilder portraying creepy Willy Wonka and making a snarky comment about your use of the Internet. The point is that memes are a permanent part of life online and yet no one (until now)

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David Baker

Mar 4, 2021
1 min

“Ruh-roh, Reorge!”

It has been nearly 60 years since The Jetsons cartoon arrived on American televisions, but a recent USPTO trademark application filed by Astro Biosciences has elicited a trademark opposition from Hanna Barbera Productions, the cartoon’s producer, for the trademark “Astro Dog.” What product does Astro Biosciences make? Dog treats, of course. #TheJetsons #HannaBarbera #AstroBiosciences #USPTO #trademarks #trademarklaw #intellectualproperty #intellectualpropertylaw #DavidBaker #

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David Baker

Feb 25, 2021
1 min

IP Update - February 2021 Edition

“But he who dares not grasp the thorn. Should never crave the rose.” ― Anne Bronte Did you watch the Big Game? Kinda boring, wasn’t it? Even the commercials and halftime show seemed flat to me. Maybe it was the small COVID crowd or the fact that we were still under quarantine in California, but it just didn’t feel the same. Likewise, the end of the College football season didn’t seem the same either. Other than Alabama winning the National Championship, of course. That seems

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David Baker

Feb 16, 2021
1 min

Aunt Jemima Finally Retires

Quaker Oats is releasing a new name and logo for its "Aunt Jemima" products, finally retiring the racist stereotype that has adorned its pancake mixes and syrups for decades. The “new” brand name, Pearl Milling Company, is actually the name of the 19th century business that created the original ready-made pancake mix which became famous under the soon-to-be retired moniker. #AuntJemima #QuakerOats #branding #trademarks #intellectualproperty #intellectualpropertylaw #DavidBake

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David Baker

Feb 11, 2021
1 min

Amusement Park Sues Singer

Evermore Park, a small amusement park in Utah, has filed suit against Taylor Swift and her management company alleging that the naming of her most recent album Evermore (and the sale of related merchandise) constitutes trademark infringement. Why an obscure amusement park would complain of being linked to an international recording star remains unclear. #Evermore #EvermorePark #TaylorSwift #trademarks #copyrights #intellectualproperty #FederalCourt #USPTO #intellectualpropert

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Did you miss an issue of IP Update? You're in luck. Here's a copy of the January 2021 edition.

David Baker

Feb 11, 2021
1 min

Did you miss an issue of IP Update? You're in luck. Here's a copy of the January 2021 edition.

So, the first week of January really happened, didn’t it? And, if you were paying attention to the unrelenting media coverage from our nation’s capital, you probably noticed several of your fellow citizens sporting stylish t-shirts, baseball caps, and even morale patches (those Velcro® backed symbols originally used by the military) with a stylized skull on them as they helped themselves to unguided tours of the Capital Building. In this month’s IP Update, we explain where th

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The “Grand Daddy of Them All” Trademark Lawsuit

David Baker

Feb 3, 2021
2 min

The “Grand Daddy of Them All” Trademark Lawsuit

Capping the weird 2020-2021 NCAA football season, the Alabama Crimson Tide beat the Ohio State Buckeyes 52-24 in the College Football National Championship Game last month. The Championship was played at the Orange Bowl venue, but the Orange Bowl® football game had already been played nine days earlier between Texas A&M and North Carolina. Adding to the confusion, Alabama had already played in the Rose Bowl® football game on January 1, beating Notre Dame 31 to 14, but that ga

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David Baker

Jan 28, 2021
2 min

IP Update - January 2021 Edition

"In the long-run, every government is the exact symbol of its people, with their wisdom and unwisdom; we have to say, Like People like Government." - Thomas Carlyle So, the first week of January really happened, didn’t it? And, if you were paying attention to the unrelenting media coverage from our nation’s capital, you probably noticed several of your fellow citizens sporting stylish t-shirts, baseball caps, and even morale patches (those Velcro® backed symbols originally us

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Passage of COVID Relief Bill Changes Copyright Law

David Baker

Jan 15, 2021
2 min

Passage of COVID Relief Bill Changes Copyright Law

Last month, the CASE Act was signed into law by President Trump as part of the massive 5,593-page, $1.4-trillion omnibus spending and COVID-19 relief bill, titled the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. Originally, the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement (“CASE”) Act was introduced in 2019 to establish a copyright small claims system that allows copyright creators to take action against infringers on a smaller scale than filing lawsuits in federal court. Supp

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David Baker

Jan 5, 2021
1 min

Trademark Fees Are on the Rise in 2021

Despite having to deal with Covid-19 challenges in 2020, U.S. business will now have to contend with another challenge, higher trademark registration fees in 2021. The USPTO has announced increased fees of as much as $150 beginning January 2, 2021. If you hurry, you still have a few days to file in 2020. #USPTO #trademarks #trademarkfees #intellectualproperty #DavidBaker #IPLawyer #OCLawyer #BusinessLawyer #IPUpdate

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David Baker

Dec 22, 2020
2 min

IP Update - December 2020 Edition

“Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.” - Groucho Marx How long does a trademark last? It lasts as long as it serves the purpose of identifying the source of goods or services. And this is no less true for a popular cartoon character that debuted in 1962. The Jetsons is an animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera that originally aired in primetime on American television from 1962–1963. It featured a space age family of the same

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David Baker

Jul 5, 2017
3 min

Embedded Copyrights – The Not-So-Funny Side of Memes

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