A motion mark protects distinctive motion(s) or movement(s) associated with a brand, including animated images or sequences, moving aspects of products, or motions used in rendering services.  

The sport of table tennis first originated in England in the late 1800’s as a parlor game played by the upper class. Table tennis quickly caught on with the public and was marketed under a variety of wild brand names including Gossima, Whiff Waff, Parlour Tennis, Indoor Tennis, Pom-Pom, Pim-Pam, Netto, Clip-Clap, and of course Ping-Pong®.

We hope for a great game on the field, but based on trademark portfolios it isn’t close. OHIO STATE®, OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY®, THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY®, OSU®, whatever trademarked name you want to call them (maybe not whatever name you want, looking at you Michigan fans), the school has one awesome collection of trademark registrations, including a can’t-believe-it’s-registered word mark and several unique non-traditional trademarks.

Congratulations to Notre Dame for advancing through the College Football Playoffs to the 2025 College Football National Championship Game!

Congratulations to Notre Dame and Ohio State University for advancing through the College Football Playoffs to the 2025 College Football National Championship Game! This week we will be highlighting some college football championship related trademark registrations, including those owned by Notre Dame and Ohio State University.

The Power Plus Cherry Lubricant scent mark is a significant piece of trademark history – it is the oldest, still active scent mark trademark registration in the United States. The Power Plus Cherry Lubricant scent mark was first used in 1990 and registered as a trademark in 2001. With its unique pink coloring and trademarked cherry scent, Power Plus brand lubricants are still in use and sold today.

A scent mark protects distinctive scent(s) associated with a brand. The scent mark must be used in connection with a good or a service, distinctively identify that good or service as being offered by the brand owner, and be non-functional (e.g., the scent can’t be the primary purpose of the product).

The New Year’s Rockin’ Eve® show was created by television and radio personality Dick Clark as a modern alternative to traditional New Year’s Eve programming like Guy Lombardo’s long-running New Year’s Eve specials.

The Elf on the Shelf® brand was born out of a cherished family tradition and entrepreneurial vision. Carol Aebersold, along with her twin daughters, Chanda Bell and Christa Pitts, wanted to share the special holiday ritual they had grown up with.

The NBC Chimes sound mark is not just one of the most famous sounds in broadcasting history, but also a significant piece of trademark history – it is the oldest, still active sound mark registration in the United States! Although the sound has varied over time, the NBC Chimes sound mark was first used in 1961 and registered as a trademark in 1971, and is still in use in connection with broadcasting television programs today.

A sound mark protects distinctive sound(s) associated with a brand. The sound mark must be used in connection with a good or a service and must distinctively identify that good or service as being offered by the brand owner.

The Cool Whip® brand, not to be mixed up with the Miracle Whip® brand (seriously, don’t. it’s a long story. trust us on this one), was invented as a convenient alternative to traditional whipped cream.

The Miracle Whip® brand finds its origins in both the Industrial Revolution and the Great Depression. Miracle Whip was created to be a more affordable mayonnaise during the Great Depression, by combining the ingredients of mayonnaise with cheaper salad dressing.

The Keystone Red Brand Fencing mark is a significant piece of trademark history – it is the oldest, still active position mark registration in the United States! Both the position mark, and the word mark RED BRAND®, are registered trademarks still used in connection with fencing materials today.

A position mark is a type of trade dress consisting of the specific placement or position of features (e.g., color, shapes, etc.) or parts on a product or product packaging.

Happy Thanksgiving! Sometimes it can be hard to decide what to serve or eat as the main course. Feeling a little weird? The perfect solution may be to just choose all the meats and go with the Turducken® roast.

Happy Thanksgiving! Looking to celebrate as a vegetarian, vegan, non-meat eater, or fan of plant-based meats? Why not go for the classic: the Tofurky® brand roast!

Happy Thanksgiving! To celebrate, you guessed it, here are some of our favorite Thanksgiving-related trademarks. We hope you enjoy the holiday week!

The United States Playing Card Company is the owner of several timeless and historically significant trademark registrations, including the Bicycle® Playing Card configuration mark, one of the earliest, still active US trade dress and configuration mark registration. The Bicycle brand of playing cards was first introduced in 1885 by the United States Playing Card Company, which was founded in 1867 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

A configuration mark is a type of trade dress consisting of the specific arrangement of features or parts in a product – it captures the overall design of a product, which can include combinations of shape(s), color(s), word(s), and other visual feature(s) present in the design.