In 1986, Boise State University broke with football convention by installing bright blue turf on its football field. The school’s now-famous “smurf turf” received federal trademark protection in 2011. Since Boise State registered its trademark blue turf, other colleges, universities, and even some US high schools have sought to change the colors of their own…

In a rapidly evolving business landscape, understanding the nuances of intellectual property (IP) law becomes critical in safeguarding your assets and fostering innovation. At the heart of IP law are two vital concepts: copyrights and trademarks. These legal instruments provide distinct forms of protection for different kinds of intellectual property. Recognizing the differences between them…

The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board recently ruled that a video game character’s face, on its own, is insufficient to function as a trademark.  More Than a Face? Osgoode Media sought trademark protection for an image of the face of one of its video game characters, “Maria.” The application indicated that the company planned to…

Recently, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued a ruling that discusses the analysis for patent term extension and patent term adjustment. Both PTE and PTA can lengthen the term of a patent, but they arise from two different statutes and are used for two different purposes. The court determined that they…

Michael Cohen of Cohen IP Law Group, provides his comments to BillBoard Magazine regarding the trademark dispute between the members of the classic rock band Journey. “While federal trademark registration can be important, Journey already had other ways to assert its rights to logos or song titles associated with the band that appear on merchandise….

In an Amazon patent infringement dispute, on February 21, 2023, the Central District of California dismissed a suit brought by a California company Laltitude, LLC against Cohen IP’s client, an Australian company JC Ingenium PTY LTD. Laltitude sought declaratory relief for non-infringement of patent, unfair competition, and intentional interference against JC Ingenium an Amazon retailer. Defendant,…

The United States Football League (USFL) is about to be reborn after it previously ended in the 80s.  Michael Cohen discusses with the hosts of Markcast, the controversy surrounding the names of the teams and the trademark implications associated with it.

Cohen IP Law Group, PC announces the class action settlement for $2,115,000 in the matter of Batra v. Popsugar Inc., 4:18-cv-03752-HSG (N.D. Cal.), as well as O’Brien et. al. vs. Popsugar Inc., et al., 18CV329645 (Santa Clara Cty.). Michael N. Cohen of Cohen IP Law Group, PC, along with the firm Glancy Prongay & Murray…

Michael Cohen discusses with KABC News Channel 7 possible privacy concerns regarding Apple and Google’s recently developed contact tracing API in connection with the Coronavirus.