Craigslist Prevented from Trademark Peace Symbol

Craigslist's application to trademark the international peace symbol was recently rejected. The Trademark Trials and Appeal Board held that the symbol failed to distinguish its products and services, even when given the color purple. A well known symbol must be clearly identify the source of goods if it is to be registerable. For this reason it often makes more sense to register a unique mark.

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Headlight Flashing: Obstruction of Justice or Protected Speech?

Michael Elli was ticketed after he flashed his headlight as a warning to oncoming motorists. The moving violation was later dropped but Elli filed suit against the city of Ellisville, Missouri claiming that headlight warnings are a form of protected speech. Elli's lawyer is quoted as saying "if communicating the presence of a speed trap with headlamps is the obstruction of justice, then so too is communicating the same message by CB or at the corner gas station." Florida, Tennessee and Utah have also considered this matter; all three states siding with the drivers. Florida went a step further and lassed a law banning prosecution for flashing headlights.

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Software Based Patents Should Do More than Accelerate Calculations

A recent ruling by the Federal Circuit held that claims must do more than simply accelerate human calculations in order to be eligible for patentability. Inventors would be wise to distinguish the role of the computer in their patent application.

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