Become more aware of the impact that social and ethical issues can have on trade mark applications.

Further your expertise in order to notice when a trade mark application may potentially be deemed offensive.

Learn how to balance social justice concerns with free speech, so that you can help your clients to recognise potential trade mark filing issues.

Gain insight into how to resolve these issues and advise your clients of possible solutions.

Learning outcomes:

  • How to advise clients about filing strategies when the trade mark might be offensive.
  • Recognise potential issues and take steps to overcome them.
  • Raise awareness of ethical issues and solutions to them.

This webinar supports skill set 2.3 civil litigation prosecution of the Advanced Competency Framework. 

Meet your speakers

Megan Carpenter, Dean of the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law

Megan is a thought-leader in intellectual property and legal education. She has extensive experience in establishing innovative educational programs in a variety of settings.

Megan led creation of the Hybrid JD in Intellectual Property, Technology, and Information Law, the first ABA-approved hybrid program in a specialized area of the law. It is designed to make a legal education accessible to working professionals in IP-intensive industries. 

She has written extensively in the area of scandalous, immoral, and disparaging trade marks. She conducted the only published empirical study on scandalous marks. She was also the SCOTUSBlog writer for the Brunetti case. 

Before entering academia, Megan practiced law at Kirkpatrick & Lockhart (now K&L Gates). The University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law has been a top-ranked school in Intellectual Property for three decades.

John R. Sommer, Stussy, Inc.

Mr. Sommer argued and won Iancu v. Brunetti, in the U.S. Supreme Court. Many of the predictions he made in the briefs about other types of marks becoming unacceptable (such as ESKIMO PIE and JUNIPERO SERRA) have come true. 

Mr. Sommer is challenging the PTO’s new theories to refuse disparaging and scandalous marks, including its “widely-used commonplace words” doctrine. 

Mr. Sommer is a graduate of Indiana University with a degree in economics and UCLA School of Law.

Programme: 

  • 4.30pm: Login available
  • 5pm: Presentation
  • 6pm: Close

Cost

  • Member £0 (VAT exempt) 
  • Standard £30 (VAT exempt)

To note

  • Payment online via debit or credit card only; proforma invoices are not available.
  • Full terms and conditions apply.
  • Closing date: 9am, Tuesday 8th September 2021.

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