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Oregon Trademark Questions & Answers
2 Answers | Asked in Copyright, Intellectual Property and Trademark for Oregon on
Q: If I sell a coffee blend called “Goondocks Blend” am I at risk of trademark infringement?
Sean Goodwin
Sean Goodwin
answered on Dec 18, 2024

That's a great question. I highly recommend that you hire a competent trademark attorney to run a clearance search before you launch the brand. That search should take approximately 1-3 hours, depending on how many results need to be reviewed. If you get the green light, you should also... View More

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3 Answers | Asked in Trademark and Intellectual Property for Oregon on
Q: Is "secret sauce" ( "602 - Abandoned-Failure To Respond Or Late Response" ) available to secure? If Yes, how?
James L. Arrasmith
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answered on Jun 1, 2024

When a trademark application like "secret sauce" is marked as "602 - Abandoned-Failure To Respond Or Late Response," it means the previous applicant did not complete the necessary steps to secure the trademark. This opens up the possibility for others to apply for it.... View More

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3 Answers | Asked in Trademark and Intellectual Property for Oregon on
Q: Is "secret sauce" ( "602 - Abandoned-Failure To Respond Or Late Response" ) available to secure? If Yes, how?
Giselle Ayala Mateus
Giselle Ayala Mateus
answered on May 26, 2024

Hypothetically, under U.S. trademark law, if the trademark "secret sauce" has received the status "602 - Abandoned-Failure To Respond Or Late Response," it might be available for another party to secure.

Here's how one might proceed:

1. Check the Trademark...
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3 Answers | Asked in Trademark and Intellectual Property for Oregon on
Q: Is "secret sauce" ( "602 - Abandoned-Failure To Respond Or Late Response" ) available to secure? If Yes, how?
Ryan S. Luft
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answered on May 28, 2024

I agree with the other attorney's analysis, but I would add that it appears that maybe it was abandoned because the applicant did not have an adequate response showing why its mark would not cause confusion with an existing trademark registration for IKE'S DIRTY SECRET SAUCE, which is... View More

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2 Answers | Asked in Trademark, Intellectual Property and Copyright for Oregon on
Q: Can I use the name "M.A.S.H" for a short story when "M*A*S*H" is trademarked?
Sean Goodwin
Sean Goodwin
answered on May 15, 2024

The short answer is "most likely, yes."

The M*A*S*H trademark is limited to "a comedy television series."

The writers of that TV series will have a copyright for those TV scripts. So, you may not make a derivative story about any of the characters from that TV...
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2 Answers | Asked in Trademark, Intellectual Property and Copyright for Oregon on
Q: Can I use the name "M.A.S.H" for a short story when "M*A*S*H" is trademarked?
James L. Arrasmith
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answered on May 18, 2024

Yes, you can likely use the name "M.A.S.H" for a short story even though "M*A*S*H" is trademarked. Here's why:

1. Avoiding trademark infringement: As long as your story is not about a mobile army surgical hospital and doesn't use elements or characters from the...
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3 Answers | Asked in Copyright, Intellectual Property and Trademark for Oregon on
Q: If i have a phrase that i would like to be protected, what are the legal hurdles that i would go through and the cost?

is it only through the USPTO TESS and copyright.gov web sites? specifically the costs involved what are they and what would be the timeline of start to completed if everything is successful

James L. Arrasmith
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answered on May 9, 2024

To protect a phrase, you can consider trademark registration through the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) or copyright registration through the U.S. Copyright Office. Here's a breakdown of the legal hurdles and costs involved:

Trademark Registration (USPTO):

1....
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3 Answers | Asked in Copyright, Intellectual Property and Trademark for Oregon on
Q: If i have a phrase that i would like to be protected, what are the legal hurdles that i would go through and the cost?

is it only through the USPTO TESS and copyright.gov web sites? specifically the costs involved what are they and what would be the timeline of start to completed if everything is successful

Alan Harrison
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answered on May 8, 2024

Attorneys will be reluctant to quote our fees in a public forum like this. Different attorneys may think that filing and prosecuting a trademark application is easy and should be cheap, or difficult and should be expensive. The USPTO will charge either $250 or $350 per "class" of goods or... View More

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3 Answers | Asked in Trademark and Intellectual Property for Oregon on
Q: Do I have to get a registered trademark to sell shirts/hats with my YouTube name or logo?

I’m starting a YouTube channel and want to sell my own merchandise through print on demand. Shirts and hats with my logo and YouTube name on it. I don’t have a bunch of upstart money, so do I have to register a trademark through the US government before I can sell?

Jim Boness
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answered on Mar 6, 2024

In the US, formal trademark registration is not a prerequisite for selling products bearing your logo or brand name. Consider these points:

Common Law Trademark Rights: Your use of a unique logo and brand name in business operations instantly grants you common law trademark rights. This...
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3 Answers | Asked in Trademark and Intellectual Property for Oregon on
Q: Do I have to get a registered trademark to sell shirts/hats with my YouTube name or logo?

I’m starting a YouTube channel and want to sell my own merchandise through print on demand. Shirts and hats with my logo and YouTube name on it. I don’t have a bunch of upstart money, so do I have to register a trademark through the US government before I can sell?

James L. Arrasmith
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answered on Mar 4, 2024

No, you are not required to register a trademark through the US government before you can sell merchandise like shirts and hats featuring your YouTube name or logo. Trademark registration offers legal protections, including the exclusive right to use the mark in connection with the goods or... View More

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3 Answers | Asked in Copyright, Intellectual Property and Trademark for Oregon on
Q: I’m writing a children’s book series with the Adventurers of Benny the Bigfoot and Wally the Whale. How to license

Do I need to get a trademark or register it?

Felicia Altman
Felicia Altman
answered on Dec 4, 2023

When writing a Children's Book the best protection is the copyright protection for the book. Be sure to once the final version of the book is complete to register the work with the Library of Congress. A copyright is not protected in court without being official registered work. The... View More

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3 Answers | Asked in Copyright, Intellectual Property and Trademark for Oregon on
Q: I’m writing a children’s book series with the Adventurers of Benny the Bigfoot and Wally the Whale. How to license

Do I need to get a trademark or register it?

Jim Boness
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answered on Dec 5, 2023

You have a couple of options for protecting your original work, as described. The first would be to copyright the book, or books, you write. You could do them individually (single author, same claimant, one work, not for hire) and pay the $45 dollar e-copyright registration fees for each.... View More

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1 Answer | Asked in Copyright, Patents (Intellectual Property) and Trademark for Oregon on
Q: What are the copyright laws for building interiors (specifically in France)?

I'd like to create a video game set in the Palais Garnier in Paris, but I'm unsure of the copyright laws surrounding such buildings. I've concluded that the exterior of the building, as it is in a public space and was built in the late 1800s, is free use. However, I'd like to... View More

James L. Arrasmith
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answered on Dec 29, 2024

When creating a video game set in the Palais Garnier, you’ll need to consider both architectural and artistic rights. The building itself, having been constructed in the late 1800s, is likely in the public domain, allowing you to recreate the general layout and main auditorium without infringing... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Consumer Law, Business Law and Trademark for Oregon on
Q: Can a company sell a product from another company and pretending it's their own, by renaming it & removing all branding?

I bought a product (electric tire pump) through a website. The product was advertised as their own product and all pictures/video had no branding on their product. I received the product through Amazon (with gift receipt) . The issue is that the product was from another company, available at 1/3 of... View More

James L. Arrasmith
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answered on Aug 17, 2024

It is not legal for a company to sell a product as their own if they are merely reselling another company's product under false pretenses. This can be considered deceptive marketing and false advertising, which violates consumer protection laws. If they are misleading you by renaming the... View More

2 Answers | Asked in Intellectual Property and Trademark for Oregon on
Q: Could I legally use the name all the smoke as the name of my spice blend. Of course, it wouldn't be the company name
Jim Boness
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answered on Oct 2, 2023

This is not a copyright question, but really belongs in the realm of trademark law. Whether you can use any particular name for a product or business cannot be answered unless and until you do a thorough name clearance search. Yes, they do cost money, but the money spent upfront can be considered... View More

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2 Answers | Asked in Trademark and Intellectual Property for Oregon on
Q: How do I trademark my art work so I can share it to my business social media safely
Jim Boness
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answered on Mar 3, 2023

Trademark signifies a source of goods or services. Unless your artwork serves as a logo (which can be trademarked), you would have to demonstrate to the USPTO that the elements of your artwork are distinctive and unique enough (secondary meaning) to qualify as a source of goods. This can be... View More

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2 Answers | Asked in Trademark for Oregon on
Q: if a trademark has been abandoned or canceled can you print clothing with it on without getting in legal trouble

specifially the grateful dead dancing bear graphic

Fritz-Howard Raymond Clapp
Fritz-Howard Raymond Clapp
answered on Feb 28, 2022

If a trademark registration has been cancelled, or if an application to register a trademark has been abandoned, that does not necessarily mean the trademark is no longer in use by its owner.

If the mark is still being used by its owner, but lacks a federal registration, your use for...
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1 Answer | Asked in Trademark for Oregon on
Q: The legality of using a companies logos on a startup's website for the user's information

Hello, I have a question about the legality of using a companies logos on a startup's website for the user's information on a topic of which companies developments we use in our product. For example: "We are working with --> then goes the logos (Google, OpenAI, Epic Games) -->... View More

Marcos Garciaacosta
Marcos Garciaacosta
answered on Dec 30, 2021

Depends on the use. Most of the time they would have a program to allow people to show their logos.

Consult with an attorney.

1 Answer | Asked in Business Law, Products Liability and Trademark for Oregon on
Q: Is the word “Witcher” by itself trademarked/copyrighted? Can I use the word to name a business?
Marcos Garciaacosta
Marcos Garciaacosta
answered on May 25, 2021

Maybe, it depends

You need to consult with an attorney to review your case and see what risks and options you have

1 Answer | Asked in Copyright and Trademark for Oregon on
Q: It looks like "the sorting hat" is TMed for toys and the like, but that I could use it in a coffee shop name, correct?
Mr. Michael O. Stevens
Mr. Michael O. Stevens
answered on Apr 21, 2021

Just because there is no federal US trademark on it does not mean it would be fair game. An analysis would be much deeper. Besides, there are three live marks for "the sorting hat" and one is for a bunch of printed material. If you look at that, let's say you could open a coffee... View More

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