The University of Houston has won in its federal trademark lawsuit last Monday, November 7, which was against South Texas College of Law, who, earlier this year, had changed its name to Houston College of Law.

The University of Houston System sued South Texas College of Law when the latter changed its name and colors in its ads, logos, and merchandising to a mistakenly similar look at identity. The University of Houston’s claim included that the defendant’s actions will confuse the public and potential students of the UH Law Center.

In a statement, UH Law Center Dean Leonard Baynes welcomed the development, saying, “I want to thank our legal team for their advocacy on our behalf including lead counsel Tony Buzbee of The Buzbee Law Firm and Dona Cornell, UH System vice chancellor for legal affairs and general counsel. I am very grateful that we have been able to resolve the major issues and we look forward to continuing our focus on legal education.”

Our attorneys at Gagnon, Peacock & Vereeke, P.C., who provide legal services for our clients in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex area of Texas, handle intellectual property cases involving copyrights, trade secrets, licensing, domain name disputes, and trademarks, among others. Call our offices today at (214) 824-1414.

Houston, Texas criminal defense lawyer Tyler Flood filed a trademark infringement complaint on Friday, September 26 against the Law Offices of Mark Hull in Austin.

In the lawsuit, Flood said that Hull’s firm violated his trademark, DoNotBlow.com, which he started using in 2006 to advertise his legal services. He reportedly registered with the United States Trademark and Patent Office in 2013.

Flood claims that he came up with the idea to use a URL to advise potential clients. He also notes in the complaint that Hull 1) uses a exceedingly similar URL: Dontblow.com 2) began his practice three years after Flood was established, and 3) uses a very similar rhetorical strategy with his website content. Flood claims that it is an infringement on his rights and the similarities are causing confusion. The legal action was taken after requests to remove the site were ignored.

Our attorneys at Gagnon, Peacock & Vereeke, P.C. provide legal representation to those whose intelligent property is being threatened in DFW or elsewhere in the state. Call our offices at (214) 317-4448 to schedule an appointment.

German-based software corporation SAP has not been let off the hook for the $328 million in damages and $63 million in interest  (for a total of $391 million) owed for infringing on two patents owned by Austin, Texas-based software developer Versata Software.

Versata filed the lawsuit against SAP in 2007.

SAP, in a counter-lawsuit against Versata, filed a motion based on a previous judgment from the United States Patent and Trademark Office that says Versata’s patent claims against SAP are invalid.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Roy Payne was not convinced by SAP’s arguments and rejected SAP’s motion.

Our legal team at Gagnon, Peacock, & Vereeke, P.C. handle patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, and licensing concerns and issues in Dallas-Fort Worth and other areas in the state of Texas. Call our offices at (214) 824-1414 or 888-312-1750 to schedule a free, confidential consultation with a member of our legal team.

Two Texas companies, Neutron Depot LLC and DepotWeb Inc., filed a lawsuit against Underground Elephant Inc. on Friday, April 11, in the Houston Division of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas on the grounds of unfair competition and trademark infringement.

According to the lawsuit, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office allowed the registry of the mark “Insurance Depot” on July 5, 1994 to CSi Agency Services, Inc.

Neutron and DepotWeb said they have outstanding agreements with CSi that allow them to use the trademark and to sue other individuals or companies that make use of this mark without permission.

The plaintiffs claim that Underground Elephant introduced an insurance service that made use of the “Insurance Depot” trademark in the hopes of securing additional business.

At Gagnon, Peacock & Vereeke, P.C., our attorneys handle cases and provide legal representation for clients in a wide range of intellectual property disputes, and we are ready to help you navigate this incredibly complex legal field. Call our offices today at (214) 824-1414 to learn more about what our experienced Dallas team can do to help you.

Recently, well-known former Texas A&M football player Johnny Manziel and his company have sought ownership over several trademarks, including “Johnny Football” and the phrase “The House that Johnny Built.”

However, Manziel and his company were not the first to file for these trademarks, as Manziel’s friend Nate Fitch’s company Fitch Estate Sales first filed for the trademark for both phrases in December 2013 with the United States Trademark and Patent Office. Manziel filed for the trademark this January.

According to both of the companies’ applications, the trademarks were planned to be used on athletic apparel.

By law, Fitch needs to have his trademark application approved by Manziel, as a trademark that references an actual living person needs to be approved by the person the trademark is referring to.

If you have a case regarding trademarks or patents filed with the U.S. Trademark and Patent Office, the U.S. Copyright Office, or intellectual property in both federal and Texas state courts, you can consult with our lawyers at Gagnon, Peacock & Vereeke, P.C. We have helped numerous people in Dallas, and may be able to get you the outcome you want. Find out more by calling our offices at (214) 824-1414.