Trademark Attorney

06/10/2026

If you are a trademark attorney, you might want to read John's blog post about attorney disqualification at the TTAB.

The Board, acting under authority delegated by the Director of the USPTO, denied a petition seeking disqualification of cancellation petitioner Cove Surf's attorney, Mr. Omid E. Khalifeh, who submitted a testimony declaration in this proceeding, ruling that Mr. Khalifeh was not a necessary witness.....

06/02/2026

Check out new changes to the TMEP.

https://tmep.uspto.gov/RDMS/TMEP/current?utm_campaign=subscriptioncenter&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=

There is a summary of the changes listed in the table of contents.

The Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure (TMEP) may be downloaded free of charge from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) website at http://www.uspto.gov/trademark/guides-and-manuals/tmep-archives.

05/02/2026

Friday afternoon hang out in San Diego’s Gaslamp with my good friend and IP colleague, professor KJ Greene. Great way to end the week!

03/23/2026

Congratulations to the HFM attorneys who have been named as Super Lawyers® and “Rising Stars® for 2026.

Super Lawyers® is a rating system created by Thomson Reuters that identifies outstanding lawyers across more than 70 practices areas who have achieved a high level of peer recognition and professional achievement. The “Rising Stars®” designation is reserved for exceptional attorneys who are up to 40 years old or have been in practice for 10 years or less.

03/20/2026

Ladles and Jellyspoons:

I'm helping the Save Starlight organization with restoring the Starlight theatre in Balboa Park. They are having a fundraiser next month to help raise the funds for restoration and reopening. It is a very worthy cause, so please pitch in if you can, buy a ticket or several and hang out at Balboa Park for some cool music! Get tickets here: https://www.savestarlight.org/. Use the Venmo option to save fees... Thank you very much!

Our First Great Event 〰️ Our First Great Event 〰️ CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR $40 TICKETS AT EVENTBRITE CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR $40 TICKETS AT VENMO Click the CD to visit PeterDeluke.com   April 26, 2026  A STARLIGHT SWING  A evening to Honor a Living Music Legend, Pete Deluke at the...

02/09/2026

Hanging out, catching up with long-time friend and colleague Jon Grissom. Good times!

01/28/2026

New Nice Classification.

As of 1 January 2026, a new edition of the Nice Classification has entered into force: the 13th Edition (Nice 13 – Version 2026). All trademark applications filed from this date onward will be examined and classified in accordance with this new edition.

Compared to the previous version, Nice 13 (2026) introduces several important changes, including the addition of new terms and the reclassification of certain goods and services. These updates aim to improve clarity and ensure that classifications better reflect current market and technological developments.

Among the most notable amendments affecting goods are the following:

Essential oils are now classified based on their purpose. Oils used in manufacturing fall under Class 1, while those used for fragrancing remain in Class 3. In addition, all food flavourings are now classified in Class 30, even where essential oils were previously included in Class 3.

Corrective glasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses have been moved from Class 9 to Class 10.

Emergency and rescue vehicles, including fire engines, fire boats, and lifeboats, have been transferred from Class 9 to Class 12.

Clutch linings are no longer classified in Class 17 and are now classified either in Class 12 (for land vehicles) or Class 7 (for other uses).

Parasols and umbrellas have been clarified: only hand-held parasols and umbrellas remain in Class 18, while patio umbrellas have been added to Class 22.

Electrically heated clothing not intended for protection against accidents, injury, or medical purposes has been moved from Class 11 to Class 25.

Yoga-related articles have been redistributed according to their nature: yoga and meditation cushions (Class 20), yoga gloves (Class 25), meditation mats (Class 27), and yoga blocks (Class 28).

The new edition also introduces relevant changes in service classifications, including:

The inclusion of artificial intelligence as a service (AIaaS) as a new entry in Class 42.

The classification of booking and arranging access to airport lounges under Class 43.

Updated classifications for rental of spectacles and rental of sunglasses, which are now classified exclusively in Class 44.

An updated version of the alphabetical list for the 2026 Nice Classification is already available on the WIPO website for information purposes, although it will formally apply from 1 January 2026.

In parallel, the Harmonised Database—the common EU list of accepted terms for goods and services—will be updated to reflect the new edition. These updates will become visible to all users via TMclass at the beginning of next year.

01/28/2026

Calling all trademark owners...be on the lookout for scammers trying to steal your money by "publishing" your tradmark and/or offering to file maintenance documents with the USPTO. Get in touch if you have questions. Do Not Pay!

01/27/2026

3 days at the NAMM trade show in Anaheim, coupled with 3 days at the Wood Wire Volts trade show, also in Anaheim, all the same days, makes for some busy, crazy days! And good times. Meeting with current and new clients, checking out the music gear, networking and having fun! Check out the images and see what you missed. It’s good to be home, but looking forward to next year!

01/21/2026

Another year, another NAMM show!