Michael Jordan loses trademark rights to his name in China

The six-time NBA champion and former Chicago Bulls player has lost a lawsuit to a Chinese brand that has imitated his name and brand. Jordan sued Qiaodan Sports in 2012 and has requested the Chinese authorities to revoke the trademark alleging that it mislead consumers about its ties to him.

Qiaodan (乔丹), pronounced “chee-ow dahn” is a Mandarin transliteration of “Jordan”. In addition, Qiaodan’s products also carry a silhouette of a leaping basketball player resembling the “Jumpman” logo used by Nike to promote its Air Jordan brand.

 

Donald Trump Applied to Trademark ‘Trumpublican’ and ‘Trumpocrat’

Business Magnate and 2016 Republican candidate to the White House Donald Trump has desired to add some new trademarks to his collection.
Trump’s entourage filed applications to trademark “Trumpocrat” and “Trumpublican” through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). According to the USPTO’s database, the trademarks are to present day classified as “abandoned”.

Community trademark (CTM): McDonald’s tries to prevent the expansion of the Supermac’s trademark

In March 2014 an Irish fast food chain filed a Community trademark (CTM) application seeking the protection of its commercial distinctive sign “Supermac’s”.

Having a three month period to do so, McDonald’s filed an opposition against this application in July 2014. The giant fast food chain, having several CTMs covering, among others, classes 29, 30 and 43, which comprises food and drink products and services, stated that these two trademarks would confuse consumers.

It is noteworthy that these two trademarks have been co-existing in Ireland since 1978.

Angola: Trademark applications No.1 to 5000 must resubmit documents

In order to update trademark files, The Angolan Intellectual Property Office (IAPI) issued a notification, requesting all applicants and/or attorneys of trademark applications numbered from 1 (one) to 5000 (five thousand) to present the following documents:

1) Copy of the official filing receipt or application request;
2) Power of Attorney;
3) Certificate of Incorporation, proving the company's commercial activity in its native country;
4) Renewal applications, if any;
5) Changes in ownership or applicant's name/address, if any.

IRAQ: Kurdistan is now a completely independent IP jurisdiction

Since 2011 the Ministry of Trade and Industry from Kurdistan is claiming that Iraqi trademark registrations before Iraqi PTO in Baghdad no longer cover Iraq jurisdiction. Now, the State Council of Iraq has issued an opinion clarifying this question, informing that there is no longer possibility of extending the trademark registrations from Iraq to Kurdistan. In this sense, Kurdistan is now a completely independent IP jurisdiction and the protection have to be sought directly before Kurdistan authorities.

DC Comics vs Rihanna, a battle over the name "ROBYN”

A battle of titans is happening. It all started when Rihanna’s firm attempted to trademark the name “Robyn” on June 23, 2014. DC Comics subsequently filed a “Notice of Opposition” to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). DC Comics has advocated that Rihanna’s trademark will create a likelihood of confusion on the part of consumers because the trademark “in sight, sound and commercial impression virtually identical to DC Comic’s trademark.”. Furthermore, DC Comics has also argued that Rhianna’s trademark is diluting the distinctiveness and the goodwill of the name “ROBIN”.

Kuwait joins to Paris Convention and now it is possible to claim the priority

On 2nd September 2004, the Minister for Foreign Affairs has notified WIPO (notification no. 220) of the deposit by the Government of the State of Kuwait of its instrument of accession to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property of March 20, 1883. The Convention has entered in force on 2nd December 2014 and now Kuwaiti PTO announced that priority claims will be available for trademark applications starting 1 January 2015 and applicants may claim priority within the six months from the earlier application date.