© 2008, 2012 Anthony Vella, Esq.

Rock & Roll, M & Ms®, and . . . . .a Naked Cowboy® ?

A Lesson About Advertisements & Intellectual Property Infringement

What Did Mars, Inc Do?

New York Times Square Advertisement

A Naked Cowboy Took Offense to M&M Advertisement in Times Square

Naked Cowboy Sues Mars, inc

• http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/02/14/naked.cowboy/index.html#cnnSTCVideo

Did the Naked Cowboy Have Rights?

The Naked Cowboy Asserted Federal Trademark Registrations & Right of Publicity.

Asserted Mars Created a “Likelihood of Confusion” with His trademark & infringed other intellectual property rights?

.

Naked Cowboy® Word Mark

Int. CI.: 41Prior U.S. Cis.: 100, 101, and 107 Reg. No. 2,560,456United States Patent and Trademark Office Registered Apr. 9, 2002

SERVICE MARKPRINCIPAL REGISTER

NAKED COWBOY

Naked Cowboy® Design Mark

Registered Sep. 2, 2003United States Patent and Trademark Office

Reg. No. 2,760,208Int. Cl.: 25Prior U.S. Cls.: 22 and 39

TRADEMARKPRINCIPAL REGISTER

Trademarks & Rights of Celebrity:Issues in Naked Cowboy Case

• Federal Trademark Law

• Rights of Celebrity (aka Publicity)

A Person Cannot Have Their Image Used For Commercial Purposes without

“Compensation” and/or “Authorization”

What is a Trademark?

What Can Be A Trademark?

What Can Be A Trademark?

What Can Be a Trademark?

http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ahrpa/opa/kids/soundex/75934534.mp3

http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ahrpa/opa/kids/soundex/72349496.mp3

“Scent” Can Be a Trademark

Trademark – Strong Protection

Arbitrary/Fanciful

• “Xerox” for Copiers

• “Baby Ruth” for Candy Bars

• “Apple” for Computer

Trademark Protection

• Descriptive or Suggestive o Computerlando Oatnuts

• Generic – No Valueo painto milko Aspirin (once an arbitrary/strong

trademark)

© 2008 Anthony Vella, Esq.

Naked Cowboy’s Damages Claim

Naked Cowboys antes up in a high stakes poker game . . .

http://wilstar.com/midi/worldofsports.wav

Blazing Saddles – Mel Brooks’ Movie

• The Naked Cowboy wants $6 millions or more in damages!!!!!

.

Infringement? – Willful?

Did Mars, Inc. Infringe IP Rights?

M&M Dressed Up Like Naked Cowboy

Ads running in Times Square – location of Naked Cowboy

Ignore Cease & Desist Letter

.

Practice Tip: Cease & Desist Letters

What to Do and What Not to Do. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

What Not to Do?

Is There a Naked Cowboy in Your Future?

Have you cleared the advertisement?

Has the trademark been cleared before using it?

Are there other IP rights that have not been considered?

Morale . . . .

Follow Best Practices before a Naked Cowboy® comes

Knocking

Update – Settlement Reached

• November 8, 2008 (AP) . . . The Naked Cowboy® and Mars, Inc reached a settlement (terms undisclosed) of suit filed February 11, 2008