Standley Law Group LLP

It’s Your Name, but that Doesn’t Mean it can or should be the Trademark for Your Business…

Details: Published: 08 January 2019 08 January 2019

By Melissa A. McCurdy, Partner, Standley Law Group LLP

A common misconception regarding U.S. trademark law is that a person has a natural right to use his or her family name (surname) in conjunction with offering goods or services in commerce. The general rule is that surnames cannot be registered as trademarks. See Lanham Act, Section 2(e)(4). However, this rule can be overcome. To determine whether a surname should be federally registered as a trademark, and hence protectable as such, the U.S. Trademark Office looks at various factors to determine whether the mark will be perceived as predominantly a “surname”, including whether the proposed mark is a common or a rare surname, the latter favoring registration, and whether the proposed mark has any other recognized meanings other than a surname (if yes, this tips in favor of registration).

The CAFC Finds That User Interfaces May be Patent Eligible

Details: Published: 01 October 2018 01 October 2018

By Adam J. Smith, Associate Attorney, Standley Law Group LLP

Breathing new life into the § 101 analysis post-Alice , the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (“CAFC”) found claims directed to a user interface to be patent eligible in Core Wireless Licensing S.A.R.L., v. LG Electronics, Inc., LG Electronics Mobilecomm U.S.A., Inc., Case No 2016-2684, 2017-1922 (Decided January 25, 2018).

In Core Wireless, the Applicant’s claims were directed to an improved interface for a mobile electronic device which allowed a user to quickly “drill down” into specific applications and data by presenting a summary window with a limited list of common functions and commonly accessed data for immediate access from the main menu. The CAFC found this invention to solve the common problem of how to most efficiently provide access to frequently used applications, as well as navigate otherwise complex menus and voluminous data indexes. The CAFC noted that this problem was particularly apparent in the context of mobile devices, which typically have a single small screen that limit the amount of information which may be presented to a user.

Sixth Circuit Finds No Likelihood of Confusion in Jewelry Dispute

Details: Published: 16 August 2018 16 August 2018

By Beverly A. Marsh, Partner, Standley Law Group LLP

The Sixth Circuit recently presided over a dispute between Artistry, Ltd. (“Artistry”), a jewelry wholesaler, and Sterling Jewelers (“Sterling”), the largest specialty jewelry retailer in the country, over the use of “Artistry.” See Sterling Jewelers, Inc. v. Artistry Ltd., Appeal No. 17-4132 (Decided July 24, 2018). Sterling owns roughly 1,300 jewelry stores, including Kay Jewelers and Jared. Artistry accused Sterling of trademark infringement when Kay Jewelers began marketing a line of jewelry under the name “Artistry Diamond Collection.” Artistry never registered a trademark for its name, whereas Sterling registered several of its “Artistry Diamond Collection” marks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, including ARTISTRY DIAMONDS, ARTISTRY BLUE DIAMONDS, and ARTISTRY BLACK DIAMONDS. Artistry asked Sterling to stop using “Artistry” in Sterling’s marks and filed a petition to cancel Sterling’s trademark registrations.

Battle Over the Bourbon

Details: Published: 10 July 2018 10 July 2018

By Stephen L. Grant, Senior Attorney, Standley Law Group LLP

Being the son of two native Kentuckians, as well as an occasional sipper of bourbon, a recent case from the Sixth Circuit caught my eye. Along the trail, it even teaches a good lesson about trademark law, specifically, nominative fair use. Besides that, the Kentucky party wins. An all-around good case to know about, with an opinion written by Judge Sutton.

Standley Law Group LLP names new partner!

Details: Published: 06 June 2018 06 June 2018

Standley Law Group LLP is pleased to announce the appointment of Melissa Rogers-McCurdy as a new partner to the firm. Melissa’s practice consists mainly of litigation and trademark/patent prosecution. Her litigation experience encompasses patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret, and other intellectual property claims.

She received her degree cum laude in Materials Science Engineering from the Ohio State University. Melissa was an active member of the Honors & Scholars and the Women in Engineering programs. She went on to earn her Juris Doctorate from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. In law school, Melissa served as marketing editor of The Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution, which is the official law journal of the American Bar Association’s Section on Dispute Resolution.

Melissa has experience throughout the various stages of the litigation process including preparing and responding to pleadings, conducting discovery, taking and defending depositions, and drafting and responding to motions at the discovery and summary judgment stages. Melissa also has experience in drafting briefs at the appellate level and experience in the preparation of patentability opinions and domestic patent applications involving the mechanical arts and software.

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