College rivalries are nothing new. But this one didn’t start on the field. It started on a hat. In August 2025, Baylor University filed a federal trademark infringement lawsuit against Boston University over who has the right to use a specific interlocking “BU” logo. Before we get into the contents of this case, let’s first discuss what trademarks actually are! Understanding what trademarks are and … Continue reading The Tale of Two BUs
As someone who has little to no interest in football, let alone the Super Bowl, I still tune in every year just for the commercials. With a background in advertising, the moment the game goes to a commercial break, my TV comes off mute! This year, one ad in particular really caught my attention, Pepsi’s Super Bowl commercial, “The Choice.” The commercial opens with a … Continue reading A Polar Bear’s Identity Crisis: Comparative Advertising in Trademark Law
Technology evolves at the speed of light these days. Tech giants such as Google and OpenAI work to perfect their products for consumer usage, but power also lies in the name of these products. To explain, let’s look at two well-known names, Google and ChatGPT, to consider the trademark implications. Trademarks 101 First, what is a trademark? A trademark is a word, symbol (logo), or … Continue reading Trademarks in Tech: Securing Innovation
How many times this week did you watch a video and question whether it was generated by AI? I seem to question pretty much everything I watch these days. It’s tiring. And concerning. As days and months go by, the AI slop seems to get a little less sloppy. Can you imagine scrolling through Instagram or X and seeing a fake video of yourself online. … Continue reading Alright, Alright, Alright: That’s Enough, AI
Imagine you are a die-hard fan of the Major League Baseball team, the Chicago White Sox. As a supporter of the franchise, you want to buy a jersey to show your team pride. You check the team’s website only to find jerseys are listed for sale at over $100. Unable to afford this, you keep searching the internet until you find a jersey for sale … Continue reading Behind Schedule ‘A’ Litigation: A Look at Sneaky Intellectual Property Enforcement
Just three years ago, I was a microbiologist preparing for medical school. Today, I spend my days studying law and filing trademarks at a law firm. It’s a plot twist in life I never saw coming. So, how did this science nerd end up in a field where people argue over whether two logos look too much alike? It’s a story that starts, unexpectedly, with … Continue reading Under the Microscope: IP Law at Loyola
Which of these colors is a registered trademark? a. Green Medical Gloves b. Chocolate Ice-cream Brown c. Barbie Pink Doll Packaging d. Cheerio Yellow Cereal Box e. All of the Above f. Colors Cannot be Trademarks Answer: c. Barbie Pink! Yep, a color can function as a trademark. But here’s the catch: most attempts to claim a color don’t work. Courts are very strict. … Continue reading Painting the Brand: When a Color Becomes a Trademark
Monopoly is one of the most well-known and iconic board games. According to Hasbro, eight out of ten people fight while playing Monopoly. What many people don’t know is the true story behind the creation and ownership of Monopoly. The story involves a fight over the intellectual property (“IP”) rights of the game. The story starts with a female inventor by the name of Lizzie … Continue reading Patenting Monopoly: How the True Inventor was Lost to History
A primer on the immoral or offensive bar to trademark registration Trademarks are all around us—from the Apple symbol emblazoned on a MacBook to a “Loyola Chicago” logo printed on a sweatshirt. (Spot three trademarks in that sentence!) Trademarks exist across different industries and evoke different things to a consumer. However, all trademarks serve an essential purpose: to identify and distinguish a good or service … Continue reading No Offense, But Can This Trademark Be Registered?
The 2024-25 National Hockey League (NHL) season officially kicked off on October 8th. The introduction of a new team based in Salt Lake City, Utah has made this hockey season especially exciting. The new professional hockey team, which picked up the players and assets of the Arizona Coyote’s Hockey Team, after its suspension, is currently going by “The Utah Hockey Club.” As the hockey team … Continue reading Likelihood of Confusion on Ice: The Utah Hockey Club’s Trademark Face-Off
