Dumb Starbucks or Smart Starbucks? Brewing Up Effective Parodies

Years before I started law school, I enjoyed indulging in the work of a comedian named Nathan Fielder, a master of absurdist comedy. Never did I realize this would be one of my first encounters with the many principles of trademark law. On his show, Nathan for You, he acts as a “consultant” helping real people with their real businesses. However, Nathan’s version of “help” only included absurd and unrealistic ideas, such as the concept of “Dumb Starbucks.”
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The Rainbow Road to Nostalgia and Copyrights

In October of 1985, a heroic plumber named Mario journeyed through a kingdom of peaceful mushroom people to save a kidnapped princess from the hands of the evil, fire-breathing tyrant.

Thirty-eight years later, Mario once again journeyed through a kingdom of peaceful mushroom people, this time with the help of the princess to save his kidnapped brother from the hands of an evil, fire-breathing tyrant. However, rather than watching Mario’s adventure through a TV and a video game console, the beloved character now embarked on an adventure on the big screen.
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Winter is Coming for OpenAI: What Constitutes Fair Use by ChatGPT?

Dragons, White Walkers and AI, oh my!

If you are a big Game of Thrones or fanfiction lover, buckle up! From one (legal) battlefront to the other, OpenAI has been under fire recently for the development of their artificial intelligence (AI) computer program ChatGPT. The Authors Guild and 17 individual authors (“Authors”), including “Game of Thrones” novelist George R.R. Martin, filed a lawsuit in September 2023, against Open AI for copyright infringement.

But before we dive into that, let’s cover the basics of ChatGPT.
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A Trademark Telenovela: Nestlé USA Fights to Keep Mexican Classics Off the Shelves

With winter (or Abuelita season) approaching, Chocolate Abuelita (a classic Mexican hot chocolate) is at the top of many Mexican minds. However, this time, the thought comes with a bit of uncertainty. This summer, a trademark infringement lawsuit between Nestlé USA and Ultra Mundiales, a Mexico-based distributor, took over Mexican Instagram and TikTok.

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Girls Just Want to Have Patent Rights

An Examination and Interview Conversation on Today’s Patent Gender Gap

Patented products are versatile and diverse. They have the capacity to revolutionize, take the 3D printer. They can entertain adults and children, cue the Rubik’s Cube. And they can make us scratch our heads, like this 1876 mustache guard.

Lots of things that we use in daily life are patented. Patents give inventors rights over their invention. These rights include: the right to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, importing into the U.S., and selling that specific invention. A patent is like a reward from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office given to inventors with new and useful inventions.
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Fair, Accessible Patent Protection for the Modern Inventor

So, you had an idea – a good one.

It’s new! (Nobody has disclosed it to the public before, and you haven’t either, except within a certain time frame.)

It’s useful! (It’s not just theoretical; it does something in real life.)

It’s non-obvious! (It’s something more than a simple derivative combination of existing components.)

It’s patentable subject matter! (It’s a process, a machine, an article of manufacture, or a composition of matter.)
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