When entrepreneur Dan O’Toole scribbled on a napkin an idea for what he considered to be the next great American invention, he rushed to file for a patent in less than a week. Telling his attorney he didn’t have time to waste, O’Toole ended up leaving a large competitor in the dust.

When entrepreneur Dan O’Toole scribbled on a napkin an idea for what he considered to be the next great American invention, he rushed to file for a patent in less than a week. Telling his attorney he didn’t have time to waste, O’Toole ended up leaving a large competitor in the dust.

The long-awaited final rules implementing the Trademark Modernization Act of 2020 (TMA) were published on Nov. 17, 2021. The rules implementing new procedures will go into effect on Dec. 18, 2021, and the rules relating to shortened trademark response periods will take effect on Dec. 1, 2022.

The long-awaited final rules implementing the Trademark Modernization Act of 2020 (TMA) were published on Nov. 17, 2021. The rules implementing new procedures will go into effect on Dec. 18, 2021, and the rules relating to shortened trademark response periods will take effect on Dec. 1, 2022.

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California recently determined that the owner of the iconic Dr. Martens trade dress—a famous design that has been used for more than three decades—was entitled to a permanent injunction against ITX USA for its use of footwear designs that are similar to the overall visual impression of the Dr. Martens trade dress.

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California recently determined that the owner of the iconic Dr. Martens trade dress—a famous design that has been used for more than three decades—was entitled to a permanent injunction against ITX USA for its use of footwear designs that are similar to the overall visual impression of the Dr. Martens trade dress.

The ABA is hosting a 90-minute ethics CLE webinar on USPTO practitioner rules on Dec. 14 from 1-2 p.m. EST. It is free for ABA members and $100 for non-members.

The ABA is hosting a 90-minute ethics CLE webinar on USPTO practitioner rules on Dec. 14 from 1-2 p.m. EST. It is free for ABA members and $100 for non-members.

The rate of U.S. trademark application filings appears to be slowing slightly, although the USPTO’s backlog is still significant and continues to cause delays and expenses for filers.

The rate of U.S. trademark application filings appears to be slowing slightly, although the USPTO’s backlog is still significant and continues to cause delays and expenses for filers.