Once Again, A’s Denied “Las Vegas Athletics” and “Vegas Athletics” Trademarks
The Oakland A’s move to Nevada has hit a major legal snag. For the second time, the USPTO has refused to register "Las Vegas Athletics," citing issues with geographic descriptiveness and a lack of "acquired distinctiveness." Using the A's relocation as a high-profile case study, we break down why fame in one city doesn't guarantee trademark rights.
February 19, 2026
Trade Dress Infringement | Van Leeuwen vs Rebel Creamery
Van Leeuwen claims that Rebel Creamery copied their trade dress by using the same kinds of colors, fonts, and minimalist designs, such that their product seems nearly identical to Van Leeuwen's signature elements.
May 09, 2024
Top 5 Reasons Why USPTO Denied Your Trademark Application
One in five trademark applications fail their first examination according to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. We have highlighted the top 5 reasons behind this failure to help you ensure this doesn’t happen to you.
July 19, 2019
Looking at the #BigPicture in Trademarking Your Company/Brand’s Hashtags
The hashtags your business uses are not only an extension of your brand, but can indeed be the channel by which you market that brand. Can you trademark a hashtag?
December 05, 2018
New Hope For Your Scandalous, Immoral, or Vulgar Trademark
The prohibition against approving immoral or scandalous trademarks has long been controversial, and led to legal disputes over everything from “Madonna”-branded wine in the 1930s to “Bubby Trap”-branded bras in the 1970s to quite a lot of things branded as “MILF” in more recent decades.
September 17, 2018
Supreme Court Rules Ban on Disparaging Trademarks is Unconstitutional
In one of the most anticipated trademark cases in years, the Supreme Court has ruled that prohibiting the registration of disparaging marks violates the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment.
July 05, 2017
Advocates for the Creative Mind
