My Little Latte: Trademarks are Magic

Remember the unbridled success that was the Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino?

From Forbes – and not a unique take.

Between April 19 and April 23, 2017, Starbucks introduced its limited edition “Unicorn Frappuccino ® blended beverage.”  The drink caused a social media frenzy – good or bad, everyone had an opinion, and picture, of the drink.

The only problem, besides the taste, was that there was already a pending trademark on “Unicorn Latte,” (Ser. No. 87308906) filed January 20, 2017.  The mark, which has currently reached publication for opposition in the registration process, is for Section 1A Use in Commerce.  The End began selling the latte in December 2016, to the delight of social media conscious New Yorkers in the area. 

#OscarsSoLitigious: Academy Sues Over Decadent $200k “Oscars” Swag Bags

Looks like the 88^th Academy Awards couldn’t stay out of the spotlight if it wanted to, first dealing with the #OscarsSoWhite controversy and now starting a lawsuit over the swag bags being given out at the awards. Forbes values this year’s swag bag at $232,000 and it includes such classics as: a $250 marijuana vaporizer; $1,900 “vampire breast lift” skin treatments; $250 vibrator; $275 Swiss-made toilet paper; and a 10-day first class trip to Israel, just to name a few. The company providing the gift bags is Distinctive Assets (DA), which specializes in “offering celebrity placement, product introduction and branding opportunities within the entertainment industry.”

NOT PICTURED: $250 Vibrator

Last year DA allegedly promised the Academy that it would change its ways and stop marketing its goodie bags in a manner that implies the Academy endorses DA or its products – so you can kind of see why the Academy would put its foot down when DA used slogans like “Everyone Wins At The Oscars®! Nominee Gift Bags,” and “Everyone Wins Nominee Gift Bags in Honor of the Oscars®,” this year.

Sexy People Doing Sexy Things Isn’t Enough: YA Novelist Cassandra Clare Accused of Plagiarism Again

Sexy supernatural men falling in love with and protecting attractive young heroines, and the world, collide as NYT romance bestseller Sherrilyn Kenyon has sued YA bestseller Cassandra Clare for allegedly plagiarizing her hit Dark-Hunter series. Kenyon started writing the Dark-Hunter books in 1998, and has been releasing bestselling novels within that universe consistently ever since. Clare’s first Shadowhunters book, City of Bones, came out in 2007. Both series focus on “elite” warriors that protect the “human world” from an unseen paranormal threat, stopping the enslavement of humanity. Both introduce this concept through a heroine who does not know she is one of these warriors until saved by a handsome, gothic, tattooed, blond man who is a powerful warrior. However; where Kenyon’s books are decidedly adult, featuring some … steamy scenes, Clare’s YA (young adult) novels have reached a much broader audience. The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones was made into a movie in 2013, and although it was panned by critics and flopped at the box office, a TV show, “Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments,” premiered on ABC Family in January of 2016. Apparently this was the last straw, and on February 5, 2016, Kenyon sued Clare for trademark and copyright infringement based on the similarities between the Dark-Hunter and Shadowhunters names and stories.

Shadowhunters TV Show – Says it all, really

A juicy tidbit in this story is that this is not the first time Clare has been accused of plagiarism.

Close but No Cigar – GRAN HABANO Refused as Geographically Misdescriptive

“I never smoke to excess – that is, I smoke in moderation, only one cigar at a time,” Mark Twain once said about cigar smoking, a vice that many still share today. American cigar aficionados rejoiced when the Obama administration officially began to reestablish relations with Cuba in January of 2015, including provisions that allow $100 worth of alcohol or tobacco per traveler to be imported into the country. Cuban cigars are generally considered the gold standard in the USA, despite competition from around the world. Thus, it may come as little surprise that the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) refused registration for GRAN HABANO for cigars when the manufacturer is from Miami, Florida.

Night of the Living Defense: Pinterest Loses Trademark Battles in U.S. and U.K.

October, at least in these United States of America, is the spooookiest month of the year. People celebrate the macabre by wearing costumes, decorating their houses to look like graveyards, and generally getting into the spirit of Halloween. It’s usually good month for Corporate America as sales for candy, costumes, and decorations experience a much needed bump leading into the winter holiday season. For Pinterest, however, this October of 2015 has been a frightening one, and for all the wrong reasons.

Nightmare on Court Row

Pinterest has lost two separate court cases this month, one in the U.S. and one in the U.K. In both cases, Pinterest tried to prevent startups from using the word “pin” in connection with their online services.