protecting your internet brand

BOISE STATE UNIVERSITYBOISE STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND

ECONOMICSECONOMICS

Entrepreneurship Day in IdahoEntrepreneurship Day in Idaho April 14, 2011April 14, 2011

Brad FrazerBrad Frazer

Hawley TroxellHawley Troxell

Protecting Your Internet Brand

INTRODUCTION:INTRODUCTION:

1. Discuss “brand.”2. Obtain domain names.3. Trademark issues.4. Building value and

goodwill.5. Internet-specific branding

issues.

DEFINE “BRAND”DEFINE “BRAND”

• “The set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another. If the consumer (whether it’s a business, a buyer, a voter or a donor) doesn’t pay a premium, make a selection or spread the word, then no brand value exists for that consumer.” Seth Godin

• “The intangible sum of a product's attributes: its name, packaging, and price, its history, its reputation, and the way it's advertised.” David Ogilvy

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[email protected] 208.388.4875

ELEMENTS OF BRANDELEMENTS OF BRAND

• In the old days . . .• Brand was tightly controlled• Consisted of the trademarks and

maybe one or two other elements, like:

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ELEMENTS OF BRANDELEMENTS OF BRAND

• Now . . .•Brand is limited in scope only by

your imagination.•Careful policing is necessary.•Consider T-shirt hypothetical.

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ELEMENTS OF ELEMENTS OF INTERNETINTERNET BRANDBRAND

• Domain Name and Website, including URLs Link

• Facebook page(s) Link• Twitter account Link• LinkedIn Link• Blogs

• Personal Link• Corporate

• Videos and Photos Link• Search Engine Presence Link• SoMe “800-pound Gorillas”

http://www.hawleytroxell.com/

http://www.facebook.com/bradfrazer

https://twitter.com/bfrazjd

@bfrazjd


““Exit Strategy” PhilosophyExit Strategy” Philosophy

• Objective it to build a strong defensible brand (including all the elements of brand).

• Fringe benefit is the impact of the process on your exit strategy for the company.

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What are trademarks?What are trademarks?

• A trademark or service mark is any word, slogan, logo, symbol, sound, color, smell, or other item that serves as a means of commercial source identification of a product or service.

• E.g., Nike, Coke, Geico Gecko, Color Blue• “Trademark” is not a verb.

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Use and RegistrationUse and Registration

• Trademark Rights Accrue Through Use

• Registration:•State•Federal •International

[email protected]

Trademark Electronic Search System(Tess)

Record 1 out of 1 (6) FOR SITUATIONS FOR WHICH NO DRAWING IS POSSIBLE, SUCH AS SOUND

Goods and Services

IC 004. US 001 006 015. G & S: Oil based metal cutting fluid and oil based metal removal fluid for industrial metal working. FIRST USE: 20000131. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20000131

Mark Drawing Code

(6) FOR SITUATIONS FOR WHICH NO DRAWING IS POSSIBLE, SUCH AS SOUND

Serial Number 76079064

Filing Date June 20, 2000

Current Filing Basis

1A

Original Filing Basis

1A

Supplemental Register Date

December 18, 2001

Registration Number

2560618

Registration Date April 9, 2002

Owner (REGISTRANT) Midwest Biologicals, Inc. CORPORATION INDIANA 3404 State Road 101 Woodburn INDIANA 46797

Attorney of Record

Mark F. Smith

Description of Mark

The mark is a scent mark having the scent of bubble gum.

[email protected]

Trademark Electronic Search System(Tess)

Record 1 out of 1


Goods and Services

IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: computer hardware and computer operating software, microprocessors, integrated circuits and semiconductor devices. FIRST USE: 19941000. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19941000

Mark Drawing Code


Serial Number 75332744

Filing Date July 29, 1997

Current Filing Basis

1A

Original Filing Basis

1A

Published for Opposition

November 16, 1999

Registration Number 2315261

Registration Date February 8, 2000

Owner (REGISTRANT) Intel Corporation CORPORATION DELAWARE 2200 Mission College Blvd. Santa Clara CALIFORNIA 95052

Attorney of Record

J PAUL WILLIAMSON

Description of Mark

The mark consists of a five tone audio progression of the notes D FLAT, D FLAT, G, D FLAT and A FLAT.

Type of Mark TRADEMARK

Register PRINCIPAL

Live/Dead Indicator

LIVE

[email protected]

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What are domain names?What are domain names?

• A domain name correlates words to a numeric identifier called an “IP Address” that tells your web browser where to look for a particular web site.

• Top-level domains, e.g., .com and .net.• Second-level domains, e.g., “Amazon.”• Registration issues

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Are trademarks and domain Are trademarks and domain names the same thing? names the same thing?

• Amazon.com is both.• HawleyTroxell.com is not.• What about Golden Acres Retirement

Community, whose website URL is boiseretirement.com?

• A trademark is a state of mind.

Why is Internet branding and trademark protection important?

Discussion . . .Discussion . . .

[email protected]

@bfrazjd


Moral of the Story:Moral of the Story:

• Be Aware • Be Proactive• Failure to do so leads to loss

of brand, goodwill, and valuation.

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How to Choose How to Choose Trademarks and Trademarks and Domain NamesDomain Names

• Hint: Google, Kazaa, Skype, Twitter

• Choose fanciful names that you can both protect as a trademark and register as a domain name.

• Problem with descriptiveness, e.g., Facebook.

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Due Diligence, Due Diligence, or, “Do You Know Who’s Using Your Brand?”or, “Do You Know Who’s Using Your Brand?”

• “Due Diligence” means employing tools to search and monitor how your brands and marks are being used on the Internet by: •Competitors•Resellers•Pirates

• Mark Monitor• Attributor Link

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Enforcement (“Protect the Enforcement (“Protect the Brand”)Brand”)

• TM infringement lawsuits• Touchstone: likelihood of confusion

• UDRP and Cybersquatting• Touchstone: bad faith

• AUP• Crowdsource it!• Right of Publicity and Right of

Privacy

So, who owns “microsoftsucks.com?”

Another example:Another example:

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From a WHOIS search at nsi.com:

Domain microsoftsucks.com: Secaucus Group Inc PTY 4684BOX 0843-03073 Balboa, Ancon 0000 PA Administrative contact: Technical contact: Billing contact: Secaucus Group Inc Domain Administrator [email protected] PTY 4684, BOX 0843-03073 Balboa, Ancon 0000 PA Phone: +1.2157163164 Fax: Record dates: Record created on: 1998-05-21 04:00:00 UTC Record modified on: 2009-09-12 00:41:43 UTC

Record expires on: 2011-05-20 UTC

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The “Picket Fence” The “Picket Fence” DefenseDefense

• gTLDs—good Link•But beware, e.g., .xxx

• ccTLDs—better Link•But beware, e.g., .co

• Beware front running• I like Moniker!

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Google Adwords KeywordsGoogle Adwords Keywords

• What are they? Link• Your using third-party marks

and brands• Others using your marks and

brands• Issues: Is it trademark

infringement?

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Search Engine Optimization Search Engine Optimization (“SEO”)(“SEO”)

• Find the “800-pound Gorillas”

• Legal issues: beware claims of cybersquatting and trademark infringement.

• The “Terri Welles” defense

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Memes, Viral Marketing and Memes, Viral Marketing and SoMeSoMe

• Memes and Viral Video: • Blair Witch; OK Go “White Knuckles”

Video

• Viral Marketing• Old Spice Guy Video

• Social Media• Facebook usage• Twitter usernames Link• MMORPGs

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Take-AwaysTake-Aways

1. Own Your Internet Brand2. Police Your Internet Brand3. Enforce and Protect Your

Internet Brand4. Maximize Value in Your

Internet Brand5. Sell(?) Your Brand

Conclusion and Q&AConclusion and Q&A

Brad FrazerBrad Frazer

[email protected]@hawleytroxell.com

208.388.4875208.388.4875

@bfrazjd@bfrazjd

protecting your internet brand

Technology

service mark

use registration

registration date

scent mark

mark drawing code

trademark issues

brand value

registration trademark