Source: https://www.marksworksandsecrets.com/author/ira.sacks/page/2/
Timestamp: 2018-04-20 12:42:39
Document Index: 397624818

Matched Legal Cases: ['§1052', '§ 32', '§ 2', '§ 1052', '§ 2', '§ 203']

Ira S. Sacks - Page 2 of 5 | Marks, Works, and Secrets | Akerman LLP
Ira Sacks practices in the area of litigation with an emphasis on trademark and branding matters. He handles complex and high-profile cases involving trademark, copyright, and patent infringement issues, distribution disputes, false advertising, price fixing, dealer termination, monopolization and unfair competition, unfair trade practices, and trade secrets. Ira’s clients include fragrance and fashion companies as well as national scientific laboratories, real estate developers, and financial institutions.
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The FTC Social Media Consent Order Against SmartClick
By Ira S. Sacks and Patricia M. Flanagan on July 25, 2016 Posted in False Advertising
The FTC continues its efforts to combat deceptive social media advertising. Recently, the FTC brought an enforcement action against SmartClick Media LLC and its owner. The FTC alleged that SmartClick engaged in the following deceptive and misleading conduct:
(1) operating a “Doctor Trusted” certification program under which “Doctor Trusted” seals were sold for use on websites that indicated to consumers … Continue Reading
FTC Acts Against Warner Bros.’ YouTube Promotion Campaign
By Ira S. Sacks and Jamie B. Shyman on July 21, 2016 Posted in False Advertising
Last week, the FTC announced an agreement containing a consent order, subject to final approval, resolving its claims against Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc. (Warner Bros.) for the company’s misleading use of social media influencers to promote one of its video games before its official release in violation of Section 5(a) of the Federal Trade Commission Act. This represents another … Continue Reading
Second Circuit In Vimeo Narrows The Red Flag Knowledge and Willful Blindness Exceptions To DMCA Safe Harbors
By Ira S. Sacks, Mark S. Lafayette and Jamie B. Shyman on July 8, 2016 Posted in Copyrights, DMCA
The Second Circuit recently decided Capitol Records, LLC, et al. v. Vimeo, LLC (2d Cir. June 16, 2016) (“Vimeo”), a landmark decision concerning the interpretation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (the “DMCA”). The DMCA gives qualifying internet service providers a safe harbor (protection) from copyright liability with respect to user-posted material. In this case, Plaintiffs, … Continue Reading
The Importance of Being Earnest and Objectively Reasonable
By Ira S. Sacks and Patricia M. Flanagan on June 21, 2016 Posted in Copyrights
Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. continues to make controlling copyright law, visiting the U.S. Supreme Court for the second time on an issue of great importance to copyright owners and litigants. This time, the issued raised for consideration was whether the lower court properly exercised its discretion in denying a $2 million fee application by Kirtsaeng who had … Continue Reading
Ninth Circuit “Strikes A Pose” For Madonna And Music Sampling In “Vogue” Copyright Dispute
By Ira S. Sacks and Julia R. Lissner on June 7, 2016 Posted in Copyrights
In a copyright decision that rocks the music industry and splits from the Sixth Circuit, the Ninth Circuit recently held that Madonna’s mega-hit “Vogue” did not violate copyright rights by sampling a 0.23-second horns segment of the 1980’s song “Love Break.” In VMG Salsoul v. Ciccone, the divided appellate court affirmed the Central District of California’s ruling that “de … Continue Reading
By Ira S. Sacks and Jamie B. Shyman on June 3, 2016 Posted in False Advertising
New ways of monetizing digital media has brought challenges in regulating advertising. The FTC has recently issued guidelines to provide businesses and advertisers with insights as to how to comply with the FTC Act. Despite the new context, the governing legal standard remains fact specific and quite familiar.
In December 2015, the FTC issued its “Enforcement Policy Statement on Deceptively … Continue Reading
The 2015 FTC Policy Statement: An Advertisement Can Be Deceptive Based On Formatting
By Ira S. Sacks and Patricia M. Flanagan on June 3, 2016 Posted in False Advertising
Starting a few years ago, the FTC began increasing its efforts to address online disclosures in new media. For example, in 2013, the FTC issued .com Disclosures: How To Make Effective Disclosures in Digital Advertising, which provided new guidance for mobile and other online advertisers on how to make online disclosures clear and conspicuous to avoid deception. In 2014, … Continue Reading
Nominative Fair Use: The Second Circuit Joins Neither The Third Nor Ninth Circuits In Its Approach
By Ira S. Sacks and Rachel B. Rudensky on May 24, 2016 Posted in IP Litigation, Trademarks
In an important decision delineating the boundaries of fair use of another person’s trademark, the Second Circuit announced a standard by which nominative fair use of a trademark will be evaluated in that Circuit in International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, Inc. v. Security University, LLC. Because the Court ruled that the district court made several legal errors in … Continue Reading
By Ira S. Sacks and Rachel B. Rudensky on May 17, 2016 Posted in Trademarks, TTAB, USPTO
The Federal Circuit recently provided additional guidance concerning whether an applied-for mark is generic in In re Cordua Restaurants, Inc., (May 13, 2016). This case stemmed from the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s refusal to register the trademark CHURRASCOS (Stylized) in connection with “bar and restaurant services; catering.” Applicant Cordua Restaurants, LP (“Cordua”) has long owned and operated … Continue Reading
En Banc Reconsideration Sought in FLANAX Case
By Ira S. Sacks and Rachel B. Rudensky on May 16, 2016 Posted in IP Litigation, Trademarks
Belmora LLC filed a petition for reconsideration en banc of the Fourth Circuit’s FLANAX decision in Belmora LLC v Bayer Consumer Care AG, Appeal No. 15-1335 (4th Cir. March 23, 2016). As we previously have blogged [here], the 4th Circuit reversed the Eastern District of Virginia’s dismissal for lack of standing, and found that use of the mark … Continue Reading
USPTO Drops 11th Circuit Appeal of ND Alabama Order In Houndstooth Case
By Ira S. Sacks and Rachel B. Rudensky on May 16, 2016 Posted in Trademarks, TTAB, USPTO
We previously blogged ([here]) on Judge Proctor’s (ND Ala.) order directing the United States Patent and Trademark Office (the “Board”) to comply with the Court’s prior order, approving a settlement agreement between the University of Alabama and trademark applicant Mafia Enterprises LLC, which included vacating a prior Board decision that had been appealed to the District Court. Although … Continue Reading
In re Tam Redux Redux: Redskins Petition for Certiorari, Trying to Skip 4th Cir.
By Ira S. Sacks and Rachel B. Rudensky on May 1, 2016 Posted in Due Process, Trademarks, TTAB, USPTO
In response to the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (“USPTO”) petition for writ of certiorari in to the U.S. Supreme Court In re Tam (“THE SLANTS” case), the owners of the Washington Redskins filed their own petition for certiorari, asking the justices to hear their trademark case before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals weighs in. Pro-Football Inc. … Continue Reading
In re Tam Redux: The PTO seeks Certiorari
By Ira S. Sacks and Rachel B. Rudensky on April 23, 2016 Posted in Trademarks, TTAB, USPTO
On April 20, 2016, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“PTO”) filed a petition for a writ of certiorari to the Federal Circuit seeking Supreme Court review of that Court’s decision in In re Tam, 117 USPQ2d 1001 (Fed. Cir. 2016), holding the disparagement provision of Section 2(a) of the Lanham Act, 15 USC §1052(a), to be facially … Continue Reading
FLANAX: Protecting Foreign Marks from US Unfair Competition Under Section 43(a)
By Ira S. Sacks and Rachel B. Rudensky on April 15, 2016 Posted in False Advertising, Trademarks, TTAB
In today’s increasingly global economy, trademark owners are more frequently butting up against the territorial limitations of trademark law. It has long been a matter of black letter law that trademark rights are territorial, subsisting only within the borders of the country where they are obtained. This general rule can present serious obstacles to foreign brand owners who seek to … Continue Reading
TTAB Finds That Coexistence Agreement Does Not Support Coexistence
By Ira S. Sacks and Rachel B. Rudensky on March 3, 2016 Posted in Trademarks, TTAB
In a decision bound to impact trademark prosecution practice in the future, the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (the “Board”) recently found that a consent agreement between a trademark applicant and the registrant of a similar prior-registered mark – that is, a coexistence agreement – was insufficient evidence that the parties’ respective use of … Continue Reading
The Hound’s-Tooth Bites Back: The Ghost of Paul “Bear” Bryant
By Ira S. Sacks and Rachel B. Rudensky on February 29, 2016 Posted in IP Litigation, Trademarks, TTAB, Uncategorized
Recently, a District Court judge issued a scathing rebuke to the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama et al. v. Houndstooth Mafia Enterprises LLC, (N.D. Alabama February 23, 2016). Judge Proctor’s memorandum opinion upbraided the USPTO’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“Board”) for ignoring his earlier-issued order to vacate the … Continue Reading
First Sale Defense Blocks “Slam Dunk” Copyright Violation
By Ira S. Sacks and Julia R. Lissner on January 25, 2016 Posted in Copyrights, IP Licensing, Trademarks
The Ninth Circuit recently addressed the burden of proof applicable to the first sale defense to a copyright infringement claim. That defense provides that, once a copy of a work is lawfully sold or transferred, the new owner has the right to sell or otherwise dispose of that copy without the copyright owner’s permission. In Adobe Systems, Inc. v. Christenson… Continue Reading
Stolichnaya: Comity or Confiscation; and Is That For US Courts to Decide?
By Ira S. Sacks, Mark S. Lafayette and Rachel B. Rudensky on January 13, 2016 Posted in Trademarks
The Second Circuit recently issued its latest ruling in a long-running legal battle over the trademark rights to the STOLICHNAYA trademark. In this latest decision in the 12-year dispute, the Court ruled that an agency of the Russian Federation has standing to sue the record owners of the U.S. trademark registration and its distributors in federal court under § 32(1) … Continue Reading
In re Tam: Section 2(a) Unconstitutional Under The First Amendment
By Ira S. Sacks and Rachel B. Rudensky on December 24, 2015 Posted in IP Litigation, Trademarks, TTAB, USPTO
In a landmark First Amendment decision relating to the Lanham (Trademark) Act, the Federal Circuit, en banc, struck down § 2(a) of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1052(a), the statutory provision barring registration of “disparaging” marks. By a 9-3 vote, the Court held that § 2(a) violates a trademark applicant’s free speech rights. In re Tam, No. … Continue Reading
Santa Claus Will Leave The Building In 2016 — Author’s Heirs Prevail Over EMI
By Ira S. Sacks and Alissa R. Pohlman on November 11, 2015 Posted in Copyrights
In Baldwin, et al. v. EMI Feist Catalog, Inc., the Second Circuit Court of Appeals was tasked with determining when and how the rights to the song “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” (the “Song”) would properly terminate. The heirs to one of the Song’s co-authors challenged the assertions of the copyright holder, EMI Feist Catalog, Inc. (“EMI”). Relying … Continue Reading
TTAB Makes Double Brown Ale Open to Nut Sack Mark
By Ira S. Sacks and Rachel B. Rudensky on November 4, 2015 Posted in Trademarks, TTAB
In a ruling bound to please 15 year-old boys everywhere, the USPTO Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB”) reversed the Examining Attorney’s refusal to register the trademark NUT SACK DOUBLE BROWN ALE (in standard character format) for “beer” on the ground that it was immoral and scandalous under Section 2(a) of the Trademark Act. In re Engine 15 Brewing Co., … Continue Reading
Parody Writers Take Note: Fair Use Parody + New Elements = Copyright Protection
By Ira S. Sacks on November 4, 2015 Posted in Copyrights
On October 30, 2015 the Second Circuit held that an unauthorized parody that makes “fair use” of its source material is eligible for copyright protection and that copyright protection may extend to a work that exhibits the sufficient minimal degree of originality in selecting, coordinating, and arranging otherwise un-protectable underlying elements.… Continue Reading
The North Face Scales Sanyang Applications For Clothing and Services
By Ira S. Sacks and Rachel B. Rudensky on September 29, 2015 Posted in Trademarks, TTAB
In The North Face Apparel Corp. v. Sanyang Industry Co., Ltd., Opp. No. 91187593 (September 18, 2015), the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB”) handed The North Face Apparel Corp. (“The North Face”) significant victories its battle against Sanyang Industry Co. Ltd.’s (“Sangyang”) registration of its trademark. … Continue Reading
Original Policeman in the Village People Gets His Copyrights Back, and $500,000 in Attorneys’ Fees
By Ira S. Sacks on September 18, 2015 Posted in Attorneys' Fees, Copyrights
On September 15, 2015, the Southern District of California awarded over $500,000 in attorney’s fees to a songwriter who successfully prevailed on his right to terminate grants of copyright under 17 U.S.C. § 203 because awarding fees would encourage authors to assert their rights to regain their copyright interests. Victor Willis (“Willis”) is a songwriter and an original member of … Continue Reading
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TTAB Seals Fate of Trade Dress Claims for Design Covered By Utility Patent
No Twist on Pretzel Crisps on Remand