Posts Tagged: "trademark enforcement"

What Brand Owners and Small Businesses Can Learn from Backcountry.com’s Trademark Enforcement Campaign

U.S.-based online outdoor goods retailer, Backcountry.com, has faced a significant social media backlash over the past month, with both customers and competitors publicly reacting to its aggressive trademark enforcement campaign. It all started when news broke that the brand had taken action against a huge number of smaller companies that happened to use the term “backcountry” in their names. Public documents revealed that Backcountry.com had been attempting to cancel trademarks against businesses using the term, filing lawsuits against a multitude of smaller companies over the past two years. The impact was far ranging, with disputed trademarks, product and business names including American Backcountry, Backcountry Babes, Marquette Backcountry Skis, Backcountry Denim Co., Backcountry Nitro, Cripple Creek Backcountry and many more.

Trademark Enforcement: A More nuanced game than whack-a-mole

A successful advertising campaign promotes goodwill and brand identity, spurring sales, revenue, and profit.  But success begets imitation.  All too often, imitators attempt to hijack a brand and, with it, all the blood, sweat, tears, and money invested in it. While there are some similarities, the unfortunate reality is trademark enforcement is more nuanced than a game of whack-a-mole.  Not every “mole” is worth whacking, some that are whacked may not respond favorably, and sometimes the mallet just is not strong enough to play. So, what should a trademark owner consider when determining whether to take enforcement action?  The first step is to identify the scope and strength of the trademark.  Next, it is important to determine whether enforcement will obtain the desired results.  Lastly, the impact of inaction should be examined.

Trademarks: What Entrepreneurs Need to Know about Securing and Protecting Trademarks

Trademarks protect distinctive marks, such as brand names, logos, and designs.  This protection allows a trademark holder to exclude others from using the mark without permission of the owner. The following includes important, basic information about trademarks, as well as how start-ups can protect their trademarked intellectual property.