Category: Intellectual property (IP)

‘Bad Spaniels’ Dog Toy Maker Loses Trademark Case Against Jack Daniel’s

The Supreme Court unanimously ruled on June 8 against a dog toy maker whose chew toy parodies a bottle of Jack Daniel’s whiskey that the Tennessee distiller had claimed violated its trademark. The case dealt with the intersection of the First Amendment and trademark protection laws and the extent to which one company may parody another’s…


Supreme Court to Decide If Insult Against Trump Can Be Trademarked

The Supreme Court decided June 5 to consider whether a progressive activist can trademark a belittling phrase targeting former President Donald Trump for use on T-shirts. The ruling puts the administration of President Joe Biden, a Democrat, in the unusual position of defending the interests of Trump, who is again seeking the Republican Party’s presidential…


Jack Daniel’s Tells Supreme Court Dog Toy Infringes Its Trademark

The maker of Jack Daniel’s whiskey told the Supreme Court on March 22 that a dog toy maker whose chew toy parodies a bottle of the Tennessee distiller’s product violated its trademark. The case deals with the interplay of the First Amendment and trademark protection laws and the extent to which one company may parody another’s…


Supreme Court Questions Whether Foreign Trademark Infringement Verdict Should Stand

A domestic manufacturer urged the Supreme Court on March 21 to uphold a $90 million award against a foreign company for trademark infringement almost all of which took place outside the United States. The case concerns the reach of the Lanham Act of 1946, a federal law that regulates trademarks and unfair competition. The presumption…


Team Biden Erodes the IP Protection That Undergirds Global Public Health

Commentary There are ways to do well by doing good, and successful vaccine development is one of them. COVID-19 vaccines are now protecting the world from death and disease. But in the next pandemic—due to the erosion of intellectual property protections for vaccine science on a global level—we may not be so lucky. On June…