J&J-Merck has sued P&G, makers of PRILOSEC OTC, alleging that the claim “One Pill. Twenty-four hours. Zero Heartburn.” and “Just one and heartburn’s done” are false, as they imply that one pill will eliminate heartburn in 24 hours. In fact, according to the suit, the pill is to be taken once a day for 14 days, and
Making Money Off Fat Fingers
NY Times (free registration required) on Verisign’s plan service regarding mis-typed URLs.
Slip Slidin' Away
In the recent comedy DICKIE ROBERTS, David Spade is seen sliding (and crashing) on a SLIP N’ SLIDE, a yellow plastic sheet intended to be used when inflated and wet. AP reports that Wham-O, manufacturers of the SLIP N’ SLIDE product, has sued, arguing that the depiction of the product was unauthorized, and encourages the unsafe use of
Talking Dog Act
$41.9 million in damages against Yum Brands, owner of Taco Bell, for misappropriating idea of talking Chihuahua, via NY Lawyer.
Talking Dog audio clips here.
UPDATE: A take on the story from the new BUSINESS LESSONS blog.
While My Trademark Lawyer Gently Weeps
In 1989 Apple Computer paid Apple Corps. (the Beatles’ label) $27 million to settle a trademark lawsuit. I believe that Apple also paid several million in legal fees at the time (Apple’s unsuccessful attempt at getting insurance to pay its fees reported here). Without seeing the 1989 settlement agreement, I can’t comment on the
'A Nation of Copiers'
NY Times article (free registration required) on societal attitudes towards file sharing, plagiarism and buying ‘knock-off’ goods.
Al Fross
Al Fross, the Fross of Fross Zelnick, died a year ago yesterday.
"Can You Type?" "Yes, But Not Accurately."
'Exactly How To Get Your Name Copyrighted'
The legal advice in this eBook, ‘Name Copyrights’, namely that you can avoid getting tickets for moving violations by having your ‘name copyrighted’ is likely incorrect. To the best of my knowledge, no provisions of either the Lanham Act or the Copyright Act will provide protection against moving violations or parking tickets for that matter. Both
Report: 67% of Internet Users Who Download Music Disregard Copyright
The Pew Research Center has released a report in its “Pew Internet and American Life” series. The report is available here. The introduction states (emphasis mine):
“The struggle to enforce copyright laws in the digital age continues to be an uphill battle for content owners. Data gathered from Pew Internet & American Life Project