Trends & practical examples of evolving moral standards in trademark protection

In this timely webinar, three US-based intellectual property litigators will explore post-COVID-19 trends in the protection of “offensive” trademarks in the US. On one hand, following years of cancellation proceedings, the NFL’s Washington Redskins football team became the Washington Football Team; the Cleveland Indians baseball team ceased use of its Chief Wahoo mascot and announced that it would soon no longer be the Indians; and “Gone With the Wind” was streamed in HBO Max with a disclaimer that the film “denies the horrors of slavery”. On the other hand, trademark owners—including the producers of certain cannabis products—selling products previously deemed legally and morally questionable saw greater hope that more of their trademarks would qualify for broader US federal trademark protection. What should we make of these trends? Which trademark owners should be concerned—and who should be pleased? What litigation tools do IP owners have to protect against or take advantage of these trends? Join us to find out.