[1] In September 2025, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce opened up their own Kansas City restaurant, “1587 Prime;” the name inspired by their NFL jersey numbers. [2]  1587 Prime is the newest addition to hospitality group, Noble 33, founded by Tosh Berman and Mikey Tanha. [3]  The pair has also launched a clothing brand which sells merchandise related to the restaurant. [4]  While the restaurant has received positive attention from patrons, all this positive attention has led

[1] In June 2003, inventor Scott Seamans filed a utility patent for his Breathable Footwear Pieces and assigned the rights to Crocs, Inc. [2]  The patent described a gap in the market for comfortable footwear in the workplace; Seamans’ patent sought to fill this need by creating footwear that was comfortable, secure, and waterproof for use in a variety of work environments. [3]  A year later, Seamans filed a design patent to protect the design features of the Croc shoe. [4]  

[1]   Protecting Celebrity NIL in the Age of Generative AI The rapid advancement of generative artificial intelligence (“genAI”) over the past decade has significantly expanded the ability to replicate an individual’s name, image, and likeness (“NIL”). [2] Celebrities are among the most directly affected groups, often relying on the right of publicity – to mitigate the growing threats of intellectual property infringement through genAI. [3] Because the right of publicity is

[1]   Estée Lauder, Inc. and its subsidiaries are suing Walmart, Inc. over products sold on its e-commerce platform and in stores that infringe on trademarks for its brands Estée Lauder, Le Labo, La Mer, Clinique, Aveda, and Tom Ford, collectively referred to as “the ELC Trademarks” in the complaint, and the trade dress for the product design of its Tom Ford Private Blend Collection. [2] Trade dress is trademark protection that extends to cover either product design or produ

[1] On January 21, 2026, outdoor apparel company Patagonia filed a lawsuit against Pattie Gonia for violating an alleged agreement the two parties had over name and logo use. [2] The lawsuit stems from Pattie Gonia selling apparel with her name on it along with a logo resembling that of Patagonia’s. [3] This was followed by Pattie Gonia filing a trademark application to use her name to sell the apparel and environmental sustainability advocacy. [4] Pattie Gonia is seeking 

[1]   Founded in Denmark in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, the LEGO Group began by modestly manufacturing wooden toys crafted from polished beechwood. [2] The company eventually transitioned to plastic, giving rise to the interlocking plastic brick that would come to define the LEGO brand. [3]  Inspired by the two Danish words “Leg Godt,” meaning “Play Well,” LEGO’s name reflects quality and children’s right to enjoyable play. [4]   January 28, now celebrated as International

[1] Generative AI has quickly become a normal part of today’s media-driven society. [2] The ability to distinguish what is real from what is AI-generated is becoming more difficult. [3] Those familiar with social media may recognize the OpenAI generative video system called Sora. [4]  Sora is an AI platform designed to generate short-video content in response to user prompts. [5]                    Typically, generative-AI platforms, like Sora, would sound the alarm for maj

[1] Overview On September 8, 2025, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit revived a trademark infringement lawsuit brought by Trader Joe’s Company (“Trader Joe’s”) against Trader Joe’s United (“TJU”)—the grocery store chain’s employee union.[2] The decision is the latest installment in an ongoing battle over products sold by TJU which allegedly infringe Trader Joe’s federally registered trademarks.[3] The dispute raises important issues at the

[1] If you look up “AI” in the dictionary, do not be surprised if the definition comes with a citation to a federal court case. [2]  That is exactly where things stand after Encyclopedia Britannica (“Britannica”) and its sibling company Merriam-Webster (“Webster”) filed suit against Perplexity AI in the Southern District of New York. [3]  Perplexity AI’s search engine “Perplexity” is an AI-powered search and answer engine designed to respond conversationally to users’ queries

[1] Background On August 8, 2025, Baylor University (“Baylor”) sued the Trustees of Boston University (“Boston”) for trademark infringement over Boston’s use of the interlocking “BU” logo, a trademark registered by Baylor. [2]  In 1987, Baylor sought to register its interlocking “BU” within Class 25. [3]  Boston opposed Baylor’s trademark application, and a year later, the two universities reached an agreement that allowed both universities to use the “BU” initials. [4]  The

[1]   “Dupe” culture is one of many trends that has exploded over the last several years on TikTok. [2] Short for “duplicate”, dupes are knockoff items of luxury products, often being sold at much cheaper prices than the original. [3] Unlike counterfeit items, dupes are usually sold without the trademarked logos of the original product. [4] Dupes are no longer being viewed as products for people who cannot afford the original, but more as a ‘badge-of-honor’ for acquiring a

[1] While a dog toy and a bottle of whiskey may appear to have numerous differences, the Supreme Court recently addressed the similarities between the two in Jack Daniel’s Properties, Inc. v. VIP Products. LLC . [2] On June 8, 2023, the Court unanimously vacated a Ninth Circuit decision holding that VIP Products (“VIP”) did not infringe on Jack Daniel’s trademark when VIP produced a dog toy parody of a Jack Daniel’s whiskey bottle. [3] The Court held that, on the infringe