Jack Daniel’s Properties, Inc. filed its reply brief with the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday, March 10, in a major trademark case set to be argued on March 22. The brief contends that the country’s most popular brands are at risk of losing their brand identity if the Court affirms the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit’s view that a poop-themed dog toy mimicking Jack Daniel’s Whiskey bottle is an expressive work entitled to First Amendment protection. In November 2022, the Supreme Court granted Jack Daniel’s petition for a writ of certiorari, which seeks to clarify whether the First Amendment protects VIP Products, LLC’s humorous use of Jack Daniel’s trademarks for commercial purposes against claims of infringement and dilution.
Litigation
- U.S. Government Sides with Teva in Skinny Label SCOTUS Fight
- What I’ll Be Watching for in the Amgen Oral Arguments
- A Dog’s Day in Court: Implications of the ‘Bad Spaniels’ Arguments on Parody Determinations and Noncommercial Use
- SCOTUS Skeptical that Bad Spaniels is Parody, But Questions Need to Overturn Rogers
- Justices Seek Abitron Parties’ Help in Articulating Bounds of Extraterritorial Application of Lanham Act
Recent Posts
- Other Barks & Bites for Friday, March 31: Japan Restricts Chip-Making Exports, Ocado Scores UK High Court Win in Robotic Warehousing Case, and Judge Rejects Fair Use Defense for Internet Archive
- U.S. Government Sides with Teva in Skinny Label SCOTUS Fight
- Industry, NGOs Spar Over Need to Extend TRIPS COVID IP Waiver at ITC Hearing
- Software-Related U.S. Patent Grants in 2022 Remained Steady While Chinese Software Patents Rose 8%
- The Truth Leaks Out: Justices Struggle with the Science, Sanofi Welcomes End to Functional Genus Claims in Amgen Oral Arguments