Tag Archives: Trademark

Art, Technology & the Law : NFTs and Trademark Infringement – Real-World IP Rights in the Virtual Space?

Two hands circling the letters NFT.

This year, we are increasingly seeing how real world IP rights can be protected and enforced in the ever-expanding virtual world. Case law, especially in the United States, is developing how digital assets are bound by real-life intellectual property law. In particular, we have kept an eye on two cases of trademark infringement involving the sale of non-fungible tokens (NFTs): Hermès v Rothschild and Yuga Labs v Ryder Ripps.

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Is Mariah Carey the QUEEN OF CHRISTMAS®?  Not according to the US Trademark Office!

Close-up of Christmas ornements hung on a Christmas tree.

Mariah Carey wrote and recorded one of the world’s most well known Christmas songs, ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU.  Originally released in 1994, it has become a staple of holiday music playlists; the song has reported earned over $60 million in royalties.  In view of this, Mariah Carey could arguably call herself the QUEEN OF CHRISTMAS, right?

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Trademark Protection within Blockchain Domains

Block chain concept. Big data binary code futuristic information technology, data flow. Transferring of big data. interconnected blocks of data depicting a cryptocurrency blockchain . 3D Rendering.

Companies owning trademarks should reserve their trademarks with blockchain naming systems. The risk of infringement of blockchain domain names is real and remedies are limited at this time. Thus, it becomes essential to protect the intellectual property rights of companies preventively within the blockchain ecosystem.

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Bill 96: Major Changes Affecting Trademarks on Packaging and Signage in Canada

Close-up on a blue Open sign in a window with written in it in English & French.

Most companies doing business in Canada prefer to use the same branding across all Provinces and Territories, particularly for consumer product labelling and signage of consumer-facing businesses. This means that Quebec’s language law often defines how brands are presented across Canada. With new legislation adopted on May 25, 2022 (Bill 96), the Charter of the French Language is now much less favourable to trademark owners.

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