Denver, CO asked in Copyright, Intellectual Property and Trademark for Colorado

Q: I am designing shoes and named one pair Kill Bill. Could I get in trouble for trademark infringement?

It would be helpful if you could guide me to some resources to prevent copyright/trademark infringement with my designs and names for shoes.

2 Lawyer Answers

A: When doing research about trademarks and copyrights look at uspto.gov and copyright.gov.

You can search for trademarks on TESS. Your trademark search should include more than TESS.

Consider hiring an intellectual property attorney to do a full analysis of the facts specific to your situation.

This answer includes generalizations and there are many caveats -- and the answer should not be considered legal advice.

A: You may search the USPTO website for registered marks but unregistered marks may also have rights based on common law. You should work with a trademark attorney to assist you in performing a full trademark clearance search before you use any mark in order to prevent a claim of infringement.

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