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© 2008, 2012 Anthony Vella, Esq.
Rock & Roll, M & Ms®, and . . . . .a Naked Cowboy® ?
A Lesson About Advertisements & Intellectual Property Infringement
What Did Mars, Inc Do?
How Did the Naked Cowboy Respond?
Naked Cowboy Sues Mars, inc
• http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/02/14/naked.cowboy/index.html#cnnSTCVideo
Did the Naked Cowboy Have Rights?
The Naked Cowboy Asserted Federal Trademark Registrations & Right of Publicity.
Asserted Mars Create a Likelihood of Confusion with His trademark & infringed other intellectual property rights?
.
Naked Cowboy® Word Mark
Int. CI.: 41Prior U.S. Cis.: 100, 101, and 107 Reg. No. 2,560,456United States Patent and Trademark Office Registered Apr. 9, 2002
SERVICE MARKPRINCIPAL REGISTER
NAKED COWBOY
Naked Cowboy® Design Mark
Registered Sep. 2, 2003United States Patent and Trademark Office
Reg. No. 2,760,208Int. Cl.: 25Prior U.S. Cls.: 22 and 39
TRADEMARKPRINCIPAL REGISTER
Trademarks & Rights of Celebrity:Issues in Naked Cowboy Case
• Trademark Law
• Rights of Celebrity (aka Publicity)
A Person Cannot Have Their Image Used For Commercial Purposes without
“Compensation” and/or “Authorization”
What is a Trademark?
What Can Be A Trademark?
What Can Be A Trademark?
What Can Be a Trademark?
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ahrpa/opa/kids/soundex/75934534.mp3
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ahrpa/opa/kids/soundex/72349496.mp3
“Scent” Can Be a Trademark
Trademark – Strong Protection
Arbitrary/Fanciful
• “Xerox” for Copiers
• “Baby Ruth” for Candy Bars
• “Apple” for Computer
Trademark Protection
• Descriptive – Weaker o Computerlando Oatnuts
• Generic – No Valueo painto milko Aspirin (once an arbitrary/strong
trademark)
© 2008 Anthony Vella, Esq.
Naked Cowboy’s Damages Claim
Naked Cowboys antes up in a high stakes poker game . . .
http://wilstar.com/midi/worldofsports.wav
Blazing Saddles – Mel Brooks’ Movie
• The Naked Cowboy wants $6 millions or more in damages!!!!!
.
Infringement? – Willful?
Did Mars, Inc. Infringe IP Rights?
M&M Dressed Up Like Naked Cowboy
Ads running in Times Square – location of Naked Cowboy
Ignore Cease & Desist Letter
.
Practice Tip: Cease & Desist Letters
What to Do and What Not to Do. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
What Mars Did?
Is There a Naked Cowboy in Your Future?
Have you cleared the advertisement?
Has the trademark been cleared before using it?
Are there other IP rights that have not been considered?
Morale . . . .
Follow Best Practices before a Naked Cowboy® comes
Knocking
Update – Settlement Reached
• November 8, 2008 (AP) . . . The Naked Cowboy® and Mars, Inc reached a settlement (terms undisclosed) of suit filed February 11, 2008