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Proving Damages for Trademark Infringement In the Eleventh Circuit
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Federal Jury Rejects First Amendment Defense In 'MetaBirkins' NFT Standoff
Leading the charge in thorny IP issues have been cases addressing whether NFT makers who utilize other parties' trademarks can turn to the First Amendment as a defense to trademark infringement. This article analyzes the summary judgment decision that set the stage for trial in Hermes International, and provides some takeaways concerning the legal landscape for NFTs moving forward.
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New York Federal Jury Rejects First Amendment Defense In 'MetaBirkins' NFT Standoff
Perhaps no other area in the technology sector — save perhaps the recent explosion of generative AI models — has raised as many thorny intellectual property issues as the proliferation of Non-Fungible Tokens, or NFTs. Leading the charge have been cases addressing whether NFT makers who utilize other parties' trademarks can turn to the First Amendment as a defense to trademark infringement.
Columns & Departments
Podcast: Crypto's Rocky IP Future
Listen in on a post-webinar chat on "The Crypto Landscape: Post-FTX," with Blockchain Legal LLP partner Aaron Krowne and counsel Ali Derie, along with veteran entertainment industry lawyer Eric S. Goldman, about cryptocurrency's rocky recent past (and present) as well as its still-promising, if uncertain, future.
Features

Is Trademark Protection Going to the Dogs?
The Ninth Circuit held in VIP Prods. LLC v. Jack Daniel's Properties that VIP's "Bad Spaniels" dog toy mimicking the appearance of a Jack Daniels whisky bottle was protected expression under the First Amendment. The Supreme Court granted cert in November 2022 to consider the principal question whether humorous use of another's mark on a commercial product should be assessed under Rogers or the traditional multipart test of likelihood of confusion.
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Bit Parts
COVID-19 Insurance Coverage Affirmed for Cancellation of Tina Turner Musical MTV Floribama Shore Overcomes Trademark Infringement Claim New York Appellate Division Reinstates Lawsuit Alleging Misappropriation of Reality TV Concept Ninth Circuit Affirms Film Clip In Talent Acting Reel Was Fair Use
Features

Recent Trademark In Titles Cases Show 'High Bar' for Proving Public Was 'Explicitly Misled'
When it comes to expressive content, disputes over trademark rights in titles of creative works are commonly fought under the federal Lanham Act. Many of these battles play out in courts in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which has well-developed legal guidelines on the subject
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Can Consumer Products Be 'Expressive Works'?
In a case that may have significant implications for the ability of mark holders to enforce their marks against many types of products, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is now considering whether consumer products such as sneakers can be considered "expressive works" to which First Amendment protections can apply.
Features

New Decisions In Disputes Over Titles Reinforce 'High Bar' In Proving Public Was 'Explicitly Misled'
When it comes to expressive content, disputes over trademark rights in titles of creative works are commonly fought under the federal Lanham Act. Many of these battles play out in courts in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which has well-developed legal guidelines on the subject — many of them from lawsuits that have arisen in the entertainment industry.
Features

WTF? The Board Weighs In on Failure to Function Refusals
Many trademark practitioners have noted the USPTO's recent penchant for issuing refusals to register trademarks on the ground of failure to function as a trademark. The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board picked a colorful case to set precedent and provide some initial guidance on how it will evaluate failure-to-function refusals going forward.
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