All posts by: Adam Garson

About Adam Garson

Do you know what distinguishes a trade name from a trademark? Clients frequently ask us to file a trademark application for the name of their company without any understanding of whether the company name is being used as a trademark. So, what is the difference? To put it simply, a trade name under section 45 of the […]

If you thought that you were immune from prosecution for infringing a U.S. registered trademark in a foreign country, be forewarned. In late 2011, Michael Norman Hallatt, a Canadian citizen and U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident, began visiting a Bellingham, Washington Trader Joe’s (“TJ’s”) store several times a week to buy large quantities of Trader Joe’s […]

Trademarks and First-Time Inventors Understandably, the solo inventor wants to focus on her invention.  Does it work as designed?  Who shall I hire to create a prototype? Where shall it be manufactured?  How and when shall it be protected by patent? Can I afford it? These are important concerns but they should not be the […]

As a Philadelphia-area law firm, we can’t resist talking about Philadelphia Eagles-related trademarks. Most Eagles fans and anybody who’s watched a Philadelphia Eagles game are familiar with the “brotherly shove” play. You’re not a football fan, let us explain. The “Brotherly Shove” football play — also referred to as the “tush push” — is essentially a […]

We are frequently requested to file trademark applications for popular slogans, whether political or otherwise. Sometimes such slogans may be registrable but only if the mark acts as a source identifier and is used accordingly. Often, the applicant simply wishes to monetize the use of a popular slogan that everybody else uses without any thought […]

Trademarks provide important intellectual property protection to businesses and to their products. Trademarks identify the source or origin of goods or services. A related sub-concept of trademarks that also provides broad intellectual property protection to a business is the concept of trade dress. Trade dress protects a product’s unique design, look and feel. It covers […]

One of the potential downsides of filing a trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office is that the application, including the identity of the owner, is of public record, accessible to anybody. If secrecy is important to your company’s marketing strategy then filing a trademark application is not an act to be […]

In trademark speak, “reverse confusion” occurs whenever the junior user of a trademark dominates the market such that the senior user of the same or a confusingly similar mark loses its accumulated goodwill in the marketplace. This was the subject of our recent article about the case of Ironhawk Technologies, Inc. v. DropBox, Inc. in which the U.S Court of […]

The popularity of craft beer increases every year. In 2015, there were 4,144 breweries in the United States.  Pennsylvania was one of 15 states that is home to more than 100 craft breweries. Starting a brewery may be a popular endeavor but it is not simple. There is a thicket of state and federal regulations […]