As the time draws closer to the launch of the new gTLD’s more and more organizations have to decide if they want to add their trademark terms to the Trademark Clearing House (TMCH) for protection.  I do see some value in this but there are also a lot of gaps in the system, which I will share with you.  Each company needs to weigh the pros and cons of submitting their trademarks to the TMCH and decide make the most sense for their brands. 

After last week’s season finale of Game of Thrones, I was left still wanting more. Although a lot of the characters had some questions answered (like where in Westeros is Theon Greyjoy?!), the writers left the series with many upcoming events. Here’s a short list of things I’m dying to see: 

The challenge of brand protection has grown exponentially for companies operating in the online world. Violations are more plentiful and harder to track. In addition, the nature of these violations can be far different from the typical ones found in more traditional media. Internet brand and trademark infringements along with other infractions can result in a range of unintended consequences including:

Yes, social media is a microphone on full blast and everyone at the party seems to think they are entitled to a public opinion. Every photo, article, video, or slideshow now has a comment section and it is there that you usually find the good stuff. Forget about reading the actual article, you’ll get a much better story from reading the comments!

Take the JC Penny Hitler-esque kettle scandal, for example. For those of you who are not familiar with the story, JC Penny put out a billboard ad for a stainless steel tea kettle near Culver City, California. Someone on Reddit pointed out that the tea kettle’s shape oddly resembled Adolf Hitler’s silhouette and it only took a couple of days for the story to go viral: “JC Penny’s subliminal messaging supporting Hitler’s ideals”.

The International Trademark Association (INTA) Annual Meeting marked its 135^th year in Dallas, Texas.  There was no short supply of cowboy hats and warm southern hospitality to meet the delegates as they convened into downtown Dallas.  At this point, I am not sure what the attendee number will be this year, but they say that it is on track to beat last year’s Washington, DC meeting which opened its doors to 9600 attendees – a new record. 

It felt a little like being Batman in a room full of music and revelers. The setting: ISSMM Engage Conference in Livermore, California. The plot: Corporations are worried about the impact of a Social Media engagement gone wrong and spend time building policies and best practices for their employees and contractors. Time and effort well spent.

With the ever changing landscape of the Social Media monitoring space, BrandProtect endeavours to stay up to date with the latest and most effective methods being utilized by industry leaders in the collection and analysis of Social Media data. Recently I had the opportunity to attend the Social Media Strategies Summit in Chicago. It was a bit of whirlwind experience, arriving the morning of the first day of the conference. By about midday I was able to ingest my 8^th cup of coffee and was raring to go. The event was hosted by the Global Strategic Management Institute and was chalked full of insightful and knowledgeable speakers.

A few months back I purchased a new home and needed to re-finance my mortgage.  In the past I have always dealt with a mortgage broker who did all the negotiating for me.  This time proved to be a little different.

In today’s online world filled with 2.4 billion anonymous internet users and over 634 million websites[1] protecting your Copyrights and Trademarks has become extremely vital while also becoming increasingly difficult. Whether you are a retail company, a pharmaceutical producer, a banking or insurance institution you need to protect your Intellectual property online or your brand along with your customers will be subject to Phishing/Malware scams, fake/copy websites, and possibly impersonation profiles on Facebook and Twitter.

On March 7–8, 2013, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA was the epicenter for IP practitioners seeking clarity and actionable advice in the areas of global brand portfolio management, enforcement in social media, and opportunities and challenges in the new generic top-level domain (gTLD) landscape. Some 177 participants from around the globe braved blustery conditions to attend nine fast-paced sessions held over two days.