Posts Tagged: "coffee"

Grumpy Cat Wins $710,000 Verdict for Copyright, Trademark Infringement Against Beverage Maker

A jury awarded $710,000 in damages for trademark and copyright infringement to Grumpy Cat Limited, the entity holding the rights to the Internet cat celebrity Grumpy Cat. The lawsuit targeted the sale of unlicensed coffee beverages marketed under the Grumpy Cat name by a Los Angeles-area beverage company.

Steve Brachmann

January 27, 2018

Inventing for convenience – Whirlpool focuses on optimizing home appliances

Whirlpool’s recent patent applications published by the USPTO continue to showcase a great deal of research and development focused on home appliances. We noticed a couple of inventions related to dishwashers, including one dishwasher with a lighting array designed to help a user better see the dishes carried by a rack. Cooking ranges were another area of R&D focus and we discuss one patent application that claims a suspended cooktop above an oven that may be raised or lowered. We also discuss a patent application discussing home networks to which appliances may be connected.

Steve Brachmann

January 19, 2015

Keurig Loses Coffee Pod Patent Infringement Case

Keurig makes and licenses brewers and beverage cartridges (pods) that are known as “K-Cups.” JBR makes beverage cartridges that are known as “OneCups,” which are made to be used with the Keurig brewers. Back in January 2013, the Court held a Markman hearing, which is a pretrial evidentiary hearing that’s typically held whenever someone alleges patent infringement, and a memorandum and order interpreting certain pertinent terms used in two of the patents at issue was issued in March 2013. The current case deals with JBR’s motions for summary judgment with respect to the issue of infringement of the entire design patent (referred to as the ‘362 patent) and certain specific claims associated with two of the brewer patents (the ‘138 and the ‘488 patents).

Adrienne Kendrick

June 10, 2013