A few years ago, Re/Max, the real estate brokerage company, sued a competitor in the real estate market. The conflict focused on the alleged similarity of M.L. Jones & Associates’ yard signs and Re/Max’s famous red, white, and blue logo. Re/Max has been using the logo in at least one format since 1974, and has several longstanding US trademark registrations. Assuming the marks are similar, this is an open-and-shut case for Re/Max, right? A U.S. District Court judge in North Carolina came to a different, possibly logical but certainly vexillogical, conclusion.
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Keep it Legal Blog
Minors Can Now Remove Online Content Thanks To California’s Eraser Button Law
January 13, 2015
California’s Eraser Button law, which went into effect on January 1, 2015, could impact the business practices of every “Internet Web site, online service, online application, or mobile application” directed toward users in California under the age of 18. What does this law actually say, and what should website and app owners look out for?
Employment Law: NLRB Rules that Workers can Organize via Email
January 6, 2015
My regular readers know that I often check in with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and their rulings concerning employees’ use of social media and other electronic communication tools (here’s one previous blog post on the subject.) December 2014 brought some big news in the world of employment law: the NLRB overturned a previous ruling that restricted employees’ use of company email for union organizing communications. What’s the ruling all about, and does it affect non-unionized workplaces?
Band Name Trademark Dispute: Creedence v. John Fogerty
December 16, 2014
I’m always on the lookout for news about Creedence, particularly those having to do with leads on who broke into Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski’s car and stole his tapes, tape deck, and briefcase. Sadly, the LAPD has no update on that case, but there is a band name trademark dispute to discuss. Lead singer and songwriter John Fogerty is being sued by his former Creedence Clearwater Revival bandmates. If you’re thinking, “Huh, wasn’t there a lawsuit about that years ago?,” you’re right. And now they’re at it again.
