A Record Store Versus a Boy Band: My Experience on Loyola’s IP Moot Court Team

Even before starting law school at Loyola, I knew that I wanted to practice intellectual property (IP) law. IP law involves both transactional law and litigation. While transactional law focuses on the creation and review of documents and contracts, litigation focuses on resolving disputes, often in a courtroom setting. While I have always been interested in IP transactional law, I also saw the value of understanding litigation. Understanding litigation can be key to a lawyer’s transactional practice. A transactional lawyer can learn how to better draft documents and contracts so that a dispute (hopefully!) never arises and litigation is not needed. Continue reading “A Record Store Versus a Boy Band: My Experience on Loyola’s IP Moot Court Team”

test 1

Look What You Made Me Blog

… Ready for It?

Ten Studio Albums. Five Tours. Two Re-Recordings. One Massive Fanbase. We know all too well that Taylor Swift is the pinnacle of success for the music industry. Spanning multiple genres from country to pop and even some folk(lore), Taylor Swift has accomplished a lot in her first 32 years of life. But what’s gotten her to this level of recognition?

Some say it’s her songs. Some say it’s her stage presence. Others say it’s her re-recordings. Taylor Swift says it could be her songs, “with a catchy hook and an intensely cathartic bridge section.” Call it what you want, I say her level of recognition comes from her fearless team of lawyers registering her trademarks.

Continue reading “Look What You Made Me Blog”

Nike v. StockX: “Running” to NFTs

Have you heard of NFTs, or non-fungible tokens? In recent years, NFTs and their associated intellectual property rights are increasingly embroiled in legal battles. One such example is Nike v. StockX, a NFT trademark case filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. This case demonstrates that fashion brands like Nike are willing to battle in the courtroom for intellectual property rights in NFTs.

Continue reading “Nike v. StockX: “Running” to NFTs”

Kim Kardashian’s Latest Line Is Causing Trademark Trouble

Everyone knows her. Some dislike her. Ultimately, she’s one of the wealthiest women in the world. She has her hands in everything from entertainment, to clothing, to gaming. She is even currently studying to be a lawyer. Kim Kardashian seems like she may have it all, but her latest business venture may not be what she was hoping for.

Continue reading “Kim Kardashian’s Latest Line Is Causing Trademark Trouble”

Getting A RISE Out of PepsiCo

Picture by Tabitha Turner on Unsplash

While big companies may have dozens of trademarks, smaller and lesser-known companies can also have valid trademarks, as long as they satisfy the trademark criteria.

Can a large company infringe a smaller company’s mark? Yes! This is sometimes referred to as “reverse confusion,” where the small company is the first user and the large company is the later user. But, there can still be confusion among consumers. The larger company may use its money and resources (like ads) to infiltrate the smaller company’s market with a similar mark on similar goods or services.

Continue reading “Getting A RISE Out of PepsiCo”