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For more than half a century, Marvel Comics and DC Comics have jointly owned the trademark ‘Superhero.’ However, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board recently granted a petition to cancel that mark because it became generic. Scott Hervey and James Kachmar discuss this case and how marks become generic on this episode of The Briefing.
Watch this episode on the Weintraub YouTube channel.
Continue reading The Fall of SUPER HERO: When Trademarks Become Generic
Punchbowl News won the trademark infringement lawsuit filed by greeting card and event planning company, Punch Bowl Inc., despite a previous setback at the Ninth Circuit.
The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board often consider wine, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages related when determining the likelihood of confusion despite there being no per se rule on the matter. 
In Blue Mountain Holdings v. Bliss Nutraceuticals, the 11th Circuit upheld a U.S. District Court finding that Lighthouse Enterprises issued a naked license to Blue Mountain, which covered the trademark in question.
Trademarks perform a number of important functions.
Brandy Melville has asked the Supreme Court to review the 9th Circuit’s decision in its dispute with Redbubble.
Fruity Pebbles failed to attain a trademark for the various colors of its cereal.
The Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in the case of Vidal v. Elster to determine whether the USPTO’s refusal to register the trademark “Trump Too Small” violates the applicant’s First Amendment rights.