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Is LMFAO an Immoral or Scandalous Trademark?


Is LMFAO NSFT (Not Safe For Trademarking)? Is LMFAO an Immoral or Scandalous Trademark? LMFAO is a Los Angeles-based dance-pop duo. You may know them from such timeless classics as “Sexy and I Know It” and “Sorry For Party Rocking.” In 2008, they applied to register several trademarks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The applications were refused, among other reasons, because the marks were found to consist of “immoral or scandalous matter.” They have now re-applied – how do they plan to get around this issue?

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Nontraditional Trademarks: A Lawsuit Over YUUUP!®


Interesting news that might lead to a discussion of Nontraditional Trademarks: the New York Daily News is reporting that R&B singer Trey Songz is suing Dave Hester, star of the “Storage Wars” TV show, concerning Hester’s registered trademark and trademark applications. The trademark in question is YUUUP! – you read that right. Can that be protected as a trademark?

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One Direction Sued Over Trademark


One Direction Sued Over Trademark The popular British boy band One Direction has been sued by another band with the same name, based out of California. This post will refer to the UK band as One Direction UK and the US band as One Direction US. How are these disputes analyzed, and what’s the likely outcome in this case?

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Why “iPad” is Not Generic for “Tablet”


A recent story in USA Today asked whether “iPad” will become the generic term for tablet computers. While I’m glad that the media are discussing trademarks at all, I think the article didn’t accurately communicate how and why some trademarks become generic, while others don’t. Let’s take a look at the concept of Genericide, applied to how Apple positions its products, and show why “iPad” is not generic for “Tablet” in the real world. Genericide “Aspirin” was originally a trademark owned by Bayer. Over time, the word became, in the eyes of the public, a generic term for the underlying…

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