Trademarks, Branding & Business

Trademarks are a universal phenomenon.  Virtually all legal systems around the world recognize some form of identification of the source and quality of goods. Trademarks have been in existence for almost as long as trade itself, with identification symbols that today we would call trademarks dating 4000 years.  In free market economies, trademarks are legally recognized and protected as an inherent feature of the marketplace and of consumer protection.

From an economic point of view, a trademark is just a symbol that allows a purchaser to identify goods or services that have been acceptable in the past and reject goods or services that have failed to live up to the desired standards, which will vary from consumer to consumer.

What follows are articles from the IPWatchdog.com Blog that relate to trademarks and particularly to brand building, business and advertising.

• The Perils of Being Your Own Trademark Attorney May 16, 2012
• Two of My Favorite Things: Whiskey and Trade Dress May 15, 2012
• It’s Pronounced Foo Koo May 8, 2012
• USPTO Expands Trademark Law School Clinic Pilot Program May 7, 2012
• IP Contributes $5 Trillion and 40 Million Jobs to US Economy April 11, 2012
• USPTO Announces 2012 National Trademark Expo March 23, 2012
• International Patent & Trademark Filings Set New Record in 2011 March 16, 2012
• More Cybersquatting on the Horizon with Launch of New gTLDs March 12, 2012
• Exclusive Interview: Trademark Commissioner Cohn Part 2 February 24, 2012
• Exclusive Interview: Trademark Commissioner Deborah Cohn February 23, 2012
• Trademark Skullduggery: Lawsuit Challenges Publication Service February 2, 2012
• U.S. News Ranks Top Patent, Copryight & Trademark Law Firms November 1, 2011
• USPTO 2011 Trademark Expo, Fun for the Whole Family September 23, 2011
• 7 Common Misperceptions About Intellectual Property September 23, 2011
• Internet Trademark Law 101: Don’t Metatag Me, Bro! September 8, 2011
• Kellogg's Toucan Sam Asserted Against Archaeology Initiative September 2, 2011
• Trademark Process: Obtaining and Keeping a U.S. Trademark August 21, 2011
• Counterfeiting, A Growing Worldwide Problem August 14, 2011
• Antitrust Issues in College Athletics: Should Needle Apply June 28, 2011
• Selecting a Business Name in a Social Media Crazy World June 3, 2011
• Opportunistic Disney Seeks to Trademark "Seal Team 6" May 25, 2011
• The Top Intellectual Property Law Firms of 2011 May 23, 2011
• One Grave Problem: Counterfeiting, Piracy and IP Theft May 8, 2011
• WIPO: International Trademark Filings Rise 12.8% in 2010 April 5, 2011
• WIPO 2010 ADR Report: Cybersquatting Hits Record Level April 2, 2011
• NFL Players vs. Owners: A Hail Mary of a Lawsuit March 13, 2011
• The Power of Branding Through Catchy Advertising, GEICO Commercials February 24, 2011
• The Expansion of Overlapping Intellectual Property Rights February 22, 2011
• ICANN to Begin Accepting Applications for New Generic Top Level Domain Names (gTLDs) in 2011 February 18, 2011
• Trademarking of Sarah Palin, You Can Trademark Your Name February 11, 2011
• Request for Comments: PTO Trademark Litigation Tactics Study February 4, 2011
• Trademarking a Domain Name? Sure, why not? February 4, 2011
• Wine & Spirits Industry Fight Chinese Counterfeiting January 29, 2011
• The Business of Social Media: Protecting Trade Secrets & Trademarks in a Socially Networked World January 24, 2011
• Combating Copyright Infringement: DMCA Take Down Notices January 22, 2011
• Apple and Microsoft Fight Over "APP STORE" Trademark App January 17, 2011
• Trademark Collective Marks: Trademarking the Tea Party? November 8, 2010
• Trademark Tarnishment: Trademark Law’s Dirty Little Secret October 21, 2010
• Kappos Welcomes Expo to US Trademark and Patent Office October 17, 2010
• Twice in One Week, Russ Feingold Accused of Infringement, Told To Take Down Campaign Ad October 8, 2010
• Trademark Double Dog Dare: Do Your Rendition Of Tarzan Yell October 7, 2010
• IHOP v. IHOP: House of Pancakes Sues House of Prayer September 30, 2010
• Trademark Power: Not All Trademarks Are Created Equal August 25, 2010
• American Needle Victorious at Supreme Court But Loses Trademark Infringement Jury Verdict in Dallas August 12, 2010
• Wall Street Journal Profiles Medical Marijuana, but not Important USPTO Issues July 19, 2010
• Intellectual Property News from Eastern Europe July 6, 2010
• Culture of Indifference Fuels Software Piracy Market July 6, 2010
• Brand Identity: Protecting Against Negative Good Will June 10, 2010
• US Trade Representative Issues Annual Report on Global IP Rights April 30, 2010
• 7 Branding Tips for Small Businesses January 12, 2010