Over the years, I've wondered if I should do a "Top 10 of the Year" list for design patents (like other people do for different areas of IP). But there were never enough DP developments to fill a list. This year in #ScheduleA, though, there's been so much going on that I struggled to pick just ten.

Highly recommend this Central District of California decision in Cloobeck v. Villaraigosa rejecting allegations of trademark infringement over political use of the phrase PROVEN PROBLEM SOLVER in connection with the 2026 California gubernatorial election: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Who owns ‘grommets’? San Diego author says comics giant infringed his 2008 trademark - "Surfers and skaters across San Diego and beyond have a name for the young and inexperienced among them: grommets." www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/12/26/w...

A company in the cycling app/biking industry should not own exclusive trademark rights in a phrase like "Bike+". I hope the US Supreme Court refuses to review the Ninth Circuit decision in favor of Peloton over its allegedly infringing use of Bike+. www.law360.com/articles/242...

Waymo Suspended Service in San Francisco After Its Cars Stalled During Power Outage - The self-driving cars came to a halt at intersections when the power outage knocked out traffic signals, causing tie-ups but no accidents or injuries. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/21/u...

Now that the Bartz settlement has passed some initial judicial hurdles and is moving along, we thought it was worth a re-examination of how the settlement payouts may work out. The following reviews some recent developments on the settlement funds, claims, and potential payouts:

X Corp sues social media startup over bid to claim 'Twitter' brand www.reuters.com/legal/transa...

@usdlaw.bsky.social Prof. Michael Ramsey was quoted in Newsweek’s article, “Supreme Court’s Birthright Citizenship Ruling: What to Know.” www.newsweek.com/supreme-cour...

NEW: Companies like Apple and Amazon routinely handle requests for sensitive data from law enforcement. You'd figure the rigorous protocols for authenticating those requests would defeat random professional doxers, right? Well ... @davidgilbert.bsky.social has some bad news.

Authors: Are you a #copyright owner or believe that you are entitled to proceeds from the $1.5 billion 'Bartz v. Anthropic' settlement? If the answer is "yes," you should read our new blog by Rachel Kim, VP of Policy and Copyright Counsel, to learn more! copyrightalliance.org/participatin...

I highly recommend this opinion by the Court of Appeals of New Zealand regarding whether Zulu violated trademark law by using LEGO's mark on its packaging to tell consumers its products are compatible with LEGO bricks.

Stussy accuses Shein of trademark infringement and counterfeiting: Stussy, Inc. v. Shein Distribution Corporation et al, Docket No. 8:25-cv-02736 (C.D. Cal. Dec 10, 2025)

“We make a declaration that the use of the word “Lego” in Zuru’s original compatibility statement did not infringe the registered trade mark LEGO.”

A.I. Videos Have Flooded Social Media. No One Was Ready. Apps like OpenAI’s Sora are fooling millions of users into thinking A.I. videos are real, even when they include warning labels. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/08/t...

We took a Waymo taxi to the airport for the first time last week and were very impressed. It followed the rules of the road perfectly, including pulling over to the right side for a police car before we heard it. The only downside: it does not drive on freeways. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/o...

This week in #ScheduleA: - 11th Cir. decision about a MDFL case that ensnared "a disabled veteran who lives in Tennessee": bsky.app/profile/desi... - RICO?!? bsky.app/profile/desi... - @ericgoldman.bsky.social on a forthcoming article "partially funded" by the leading plaintiffs' firm:

ttab says DANKE and MERCI can coexist as trademarks for chocolate--even though consumers will translate both to "thank you" under the doctrine of foreign equivalents & the goods are the same, the marks are conceptually weak & different in sight & sound www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/sa...

Interesting post about Google's AI Studio: "Sound the Alarm! How My 6-Year Old Almost Became a Copyright Pirate Overnight" www.lexology.com/library/deta...

I highly recommend the Acquired podcast to intellectual property attorneys, professors, and students interested in learning the history of technology companies and famous brands, and about what makes a business successful. Just finished this podcast about Coca-Cola: www.acquired.fm/episodes/coc...

Right of publicity: Johnny Cash's estate sues Coca Cola for sound-alike. Commercial at this link; the link to the complaint is in this thread. youtu.be/MJ0lgc5ihL0?...

USPTO Wants To Make Bad Patents Unchallengeable. You Have Until December 2nd To Tell Them No. The US Patent Office is about to gut the only effective tool we have for killing bad patents—and they're doing it by administrative fiat, without Congress, in a way that would make patent trolling easier…

I am excited to announce that Cambridge University Press will publish my new book "Trademarks and Free Speech: Conflicts and Resolutions" two months from today, on January 22, 2026! A link to Cambridge's webpage for the book and other information is on my website: www.lisapramsey.com/trademarks-a...

eminem petitions to cancel a beachwear co's registration for SWIM SHADY as a trademark for swimsuits, bags, & other swim gear based on his trademark rights in SLIM SHADY shady alleges likelihood of confusion, false association, & dilution by blurring & tarnishment

"Imagine a single company being able to monopolize the market for dolls or figurines identified as the "Virgin Mary" or “Santa Claus” or “Cinderella” or “Uncle Sam,” and the public being unable to object. That is what is at stake here."

Morgan & Morgan drops 'Steamboat Willie' lawsuit against Disney www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/12/m...

Design law issue-spotter of the day:

"What’s important to note is Palmer’s celebration trademark only concerns the use of his celebration in commercial ventures, such as selling clothing or in an advert. It does not stop other people from mimicking the celebration." www.nytimes.com/athletic/679...

Getty Images v Stability AI: A landmark High Court ruling on AI, copyright, and trade marks The much-awaited decision in the lawsuit between stock photography giant Getty Images and AI developer Stability AI has now been released, see: Getty Images v Stability AI EWHC 2863 (Ch). I've discussed…

Design law at the Federal Circuit: Crocs v. ITC (trade dress) will be argued today. Panel is Lourie, Stoll, Chun (WDWA): www.cafc.uscourts.gov/home/oral-ar... Docket: www.courtlistener.com/docket/68132...

New ruling in Penn State v. Vintage Brand trademark dispute: "Judge upholds verdict in Penn State trademark infringement case but urges an appeal" www.pennlive.com/news/2025/11...

From "milk chocolate" to "chocolate candy": why your favorite candy bar might taste a little different now (gift link)

Alston & Bird Sanctioned $10K For LinkedIn Juror Research www.law360.com/articles/240...

Cameo Sues OpenAI Over Sora Feature With Same Name www.law360.com/articles/240...

A few weeks ago I sat down with Simon Adler at @radiolab.bsky.social and recorded for a few hours about the evolution of speech online and where we are now. I was honored he turned our chat into a stand-alone episode. Have a listen. radiolab.org/podcast/cont...

If you are interested in the history of AI (with a focus on Google), I highly recommend this podcast by Acquired. It is over four hours long and full of interesting details. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...

Just learned about this decision, currently on appeal to the Seventh Circuit. Judge Alonso denied a #ScheduleA defendant's motion for fees in what appears to be a "jurisdiction by shopping cart" situation: www.scribd.com/document/904...

'GirlDad' TM Fight Expands To 'GirlMom,' 'BoyDad,' 'BoyMom' - The government should not register or protect trademark rights in such terms for T-shirts and other types of expressive merchandise, as this chills free speech and harms fair competition. www.law360.com/articles/239...

I just posted Ipse Dixit #830, featuring John Tehranian of Southwestern Law discussing his new book "The Secret Life of Copyright Intellectual Property and Inequality in the Age of AI" from @universitypress.cambridge.org. shows.acast.com/ipse-dixit/e...

Professor Curtin Files Petition for Certiorari in RAPUNZEL Consumer Standing Case thettablog.blogspot.com/2025/10/prof...

Huge thanks to @mikescarcella.bsky.social for linking to the UNCRUSTABLES trade dress complaint here: www.reuters.com/legal/litiga... Shall we all take a look?

What Happened When AI Came for Craft Beer www.404media.co/what-happene...

Takeaways From Ninth Circuit’s Revival Of Trader Joe’s Trademark Infringement Suit Against Independent Union Over Labor-Branded Merchandise www.lexology.com/library/deta...

"Almost instantly, Sora’s early-access users were spinning up videos made with copyrighted material plucked from pop culture. (We saw more “Rick and Morty” and Pikachu videos than we would have liked.)" www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/t...

The USPTO is putting on several free webinars about trademark law as part of its Trademark Basics Boot Camp - the first one is on Tuesday, October 7. Information is at this link: www.uspto.gov/about-us/eve...

Trademark folks on BlueSky: Do you think the government should allow this law firm (or anyone else unrelated to Disney) to claim trademark rights in an image from, or short clip of, the public domain Steamboat Willie or the phrase "Steamboat Willie" for goods or services?

Morgan & Morgan sues Disney over Steamboat Willie Mickey Mouse ad floridapolitics.com/archives/756...

Is ‘The Pitt’ Really an ‘ER’ Spinoff? Michael Crichton’s Estate Says It Is. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/12/b...

Neuralink’s Bid to Trademark ‘Telepathy’ and ‘Telekinesis’ Faces Legal Issues www.wired.com/story/uspto-...

CAFC Vacates and Remands TTAB's Affirmance of F**K Failure-to-Function Refusal Due to Lack of Clarity thettablog.blogspot.com/2025/08/cafc...