Category: Trademarks

Taco Tuesday for Everyone (But Not to Register as a Trademark)

According to a recent ESPN report, Los Angeles Lakers basketball player LeBron James made “IT’S TACO TUESDAY” T-shirts to promote his video posts of his family’s taco nights. He then sought a trademark registration for the phrase for use on T-shirts and other goods. Unfortunately…

Series 89: A Secret Menu of Protected Non-Registered Marks

Who doesn’t love a secret menu, where one discovers delicious off-menu favorites and savors them along with the pleasure of feeling in the know? We’ll let you in on a “secret menu” of sorts for trademarks. A little known area of trademark law involves protection…

Tom Brady Gets Sacked at the USPTO

Love him or hate him, everyone agrees that NFL Quarterback Tom Brady is terrific, except the USPTO. Earlier this year, Mr. Brady’s company filed to register the trademark “Tom Terrific” for t-shirts and various other collectible items. Yesterday, the USPTO rejected those applications. Why did…

Gatorade: The Sport Fuel Company for “Average Joes”

In 2016, SportFuel sued PepsiCo for using their registered trademark “SPORTFUEL” in a slogan used to advertise Gatorade products. SportFuel is a personalized nutrition consulting firm in Chicago. They also market sports drinks and supplements, like their “energizing phytonutrient powder mix” which contains the antioxidant…