Posts Tagged: "brian winterfeldt"

IPW Webinar: Follow the Money: Protecting Brands from Online Super Scams

Wherever there is money being made there will be market entrants. An uncomfortable corollary: Where there is a lot of money being made, criminal penalties are modest and the risk of being caught is negligible, scammers, criminals, and opportunities prey on those who are not vigilant. And that sums up the world of brand abuse in a nutshell. Penalties for…

TPAC Leadership Provides Update on Key U.S. Trademark Issues for 2019

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Trademark Public Advisory Committee (TPAC), a small group of senior industry trademark professionals who provide guidance to USPTO leadership, kicked off the New Year with the first quarterly meeting held on January 25, 2019. The meeting covered a broad range of changes and updates to the Trademark Office’s policies, procedures, and operations. Members Bill Barber and Brian J. Winterfeldt provide an insider look at the top four issues of importance for every intellectual property (IP) owner. Bill Barber, Founding Member of Pirkey Barber PLLC, is serving in his second term on TPAC and is currently its Chair. Brian J. Winterfeldt, Founder and Principal of Winterfeldt IP Group, PLLC, is serving in his first term as a TPAC member.

TPAC Discussions Focus on Office Funding, Government Shutdown & Trademark Legislation

The Trademark Public Advisory Committee (TPAC) held its first quarterly meeting of 2019 on January 25… Despite the projection that without a long term solution to the government shutdown funding would run out by mid-April for Trademark Operations, USPTO Commissioner for Trademarks Mary Boney Denison said that the Office was still planning to proceed with hiring new trademark examiners… The first quarter of 2019 and last quarter of 2018 indicated a decline in filings for the first time since FY2010, which could mean that the USPTO’s projection that trademark filings will increase by 6.1% this year is incorrect… In discussing levels of TTAB filings, Rogers noted that the last few years had seen significant increases in the number of oppositions and petitions for cancelling trademarks coming in through the front door of the TTAB’s filing system. While appeals were increasing, they were being outpaced by oppositions and petitions to cancel.

The Business of Social Media: Protecting Trade Secrets & Trademarks in a Socially Networked World

The demographics on users of social media can be surprising – a large percentage are over 35, and have six-figure incomes. These users have a lot of buying power and are often making the purchasing decisions for their households. Once they know this, clients can grasp the importance of both using social media proactively. But what is the risk? In the trade secret arena you could lose everything through inappropriate use by you or your employees, and the same is true in the trademark context as well.