Amanda G. Ciccatelli
Amanda G. Ciccatelli is a Freelance Journalist for IPWatchdog, where she covers intellectual property. She earned a B.A. in Communications and Journalism from Central Connecticut State University in 2010. Amanda is also currently the Lead Strategist of Content Marketing, Social Media & Digital Products at Informa, a leading global business intelligence, academic publishing, knowledge and events business. She also works as a Freelance Journalist for Inside Counsel. Amanda was formerly a Web Editor at Technology Marketing Corporation. Follow her at @AmandaCicc.
Posts by Amanda G. Ciccatelli
Trademark a Band Name: What’s in a Rock Band’s Name?
While it is possible to copyright the design of a band logo, the band name itself is not copyrightable (see here and here). Band names are protectable …
Making a Federal Case out of Trade Secrets
“The most important change was that DTSA allowed someone claiming their trade secret was being used improperly to go into a federal court,” explained Jacoby. “In most …
Are Corporate Employees Protected by the First Amendment?
As it related to the Google incident, it was first reported that a memo authored by a Google employee, titled “Google’s Ideological Echo Chamber”, was being …
The Intersection of Fashion, Virtual Reality and the Law
Virtual reality and augmented reality are catching on, and the fashion industry has taken notice. Many of today’s fashion brands are seeing their work being used …
Do You Know How to Protect What’s Yours?
In the wake of recent judicial and legislative developments, protecting “what’s yours” has become even more complex. Many businesses and intellectual property lawyers have appropriately favored …
Can cake designs result in intellectual property protection?
Excluding any questions regarding the rare patentability of a cake recipe, cake designs, under certain circumstances, may be protected under the laws of copyright and trademark. Specifically, …
Leveraging copyright protection for design aspects of useful products
Instead of using claims of trademark infringement and more expensive design patent infringement (if a design patent is even obtained), one can expect manufacturers of useful articles …
Revising Section 101 of the Patent Act: What’s at Stake?
These revisions favor patent owners, according to Palmer, but not everyone is supportive. For instance, Bilski, Mayo, Myriad, and Alice have given several accused infringers an additional …
The Growing Problem of Online Counterfeit Products
Many states have statutes that make counterfeiting a state crime, but often only if the trademark is registered in that state. According to Lo Cicero, state registrations …
Who Owns the Rights to the Word ‘Covfefe’?
“Filing a trademark application with the goal of claiming a right to a particular term – with nothing more – is a fundamental misunderstanding of our trademark laws,” Alston & …
Inspiration vs. Copying: Where’s the Line in Hollywood?
When it comes to television shows, it not always clear what is “copyrightable.” Sometimes, filmmakers and screen writers can get into serious trouble if they don’t …
Why Gene Simmons Abandoned His ‘Devil Horns’ Trademark Application
Earlier this month, Kiss frontman Gene Simmons filed to trademark the "Devil Horns" hand gesture, but this unusual application was soon after abandoned. The application listed the …
Is There Such a Thing as “Entertainment Law”?
A lot of law students and young attorneys aim to get into the field of “entertainment law.” Today, entertainment law is more of a combination of contract …
The Impact of Drake’s Fair Use Copyright Victory on Music Copyright Infringement
A few weeks ago, a New York federal judge ruled that Hip-Hop Artist Drake was protected by copyright’s fair use doctrine when he sampled a spoken-word …
The Future of CleanTech Patents
The number of U.S. patents granted for clean energy technology has recently dropped following a near 10-year period of growth. In fact, according to the Brookings …
