Marketing Law Commons^™

Memetic Theory, Trademarks & The Viral Meme Mark, 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 96 (2013), Shontavia Jackson Johnson

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

This Article proposes that memetic theory is a useful lens through which to view trademarks, particularly as there has been a rise in the number of applications for culturally-driven words and catchphrases in the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Memetic theory, or memetics, is a scientific field related to how units of information evolve and replicate. These units of information, called memes, undergo a process of natural selection comparable to that of genes. To survive as trademarks, memes must not only exist in the proper form, but they must also subsist in an environment where replication, variation, and selection …

Comparing Apples And Oranges In Trademark Law: Challenging International And Constitutional Validity Of Plain Packaging Of Tobacco Products, 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 130 (2013), Sarah A. Hinchliffe

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

Plain packaging, a new tobacco control tool being considered by a growing number of countries, mandates the removal of all attractive and promotional aspects of tobacco product packages. As a result of plain packaging, the only authorized feature remaining on a tobacco package is the brand name, displayed in a standardized font, size, color, and location on the package. At issue is the meaning of “use” of trademarks on plain packaging, and whether plain packaging amounts to the creation of an invalid encumbrance. The tobacco industry and other regulated sectors (including wine, fast-food, and pharmaceuticals) also believe that plain packaging …

Right To Information Identity, 29 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 539 (2012), Elad Oreg

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

Inspired by the famous Warren and Brandeis conceptualization of the “right to privacy,” this article tries to answer a modern, conceptual lacuna and presents the argument for the need to conceptualize and recognize a new, independent legal principle of a “right to information identity.” This is the right of an individual to the functionality of the information platforms that enable others to identify and know him and to remember who and what he is. Changes in technology and social standards make the very notion of identity increasingly fluid, transforming the way it is treated and opening new and fascinating ways …

The Ownership And Exploitation Of Personal Identity In The New Media Age, 12 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 1 (2012), Thomas Hemnes

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

Personally Identifiable Information (“PII”) has never been more valuable. In today’s networked world, seemingly trivial facts can be collected, molded into a marketable economic profile, and transferred in the blink of an eye. To be sure, the commodification of PII allows for provision of dramatically more efficient and effective services. Yet the potential for privacy abuses is substantial. What interest does one have in the constellation of facts that defines one’s identity? Is it something one can own, like their right of publicity? Or are others free to use what they learn about a person? This article surveys current privacy …

The Amended Eu Law On Eprivacy And Electronic Communications After Its 2011 Implentation; New Rules On Data Protection, Spam, Data Breaches And Protection Of Intellectual Property Rights, 29 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 29 (2011), Vagelis Papakonstantinou, Paul De Hert

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

Right Of Publicity: Is Behavioral Targeting Violating The Right To Control Your Identity Online?, 10 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 811 (2011), Andrea Stein Fuelleman

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

Behavioral targeting (“BT”) is an advertising technique that receives a great deal of attention due in part to the balkanized self-regulatory policies that address consumer protection issues. The majority of the self-regulation policies, including the BT principles proposed by the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) focus on privacy issues but fail to discuss the impact BT may have on the right to control the commercial use of one’s identity. In discussing the right of publicity, many legal scholars agree that everyone has a right to control the commercial use of his or her identity, regardless of his or her status as …

The Three Cs Versus The Dinosaur: Updating The Technologically Archaic Fdcpa To Provide Consumers, Collectors, And Courts Clarity, 44 J. Marshall L. Rev. 1033 (2011), Melissa Travis

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Free Speech On The Battlefield: Protecting The Use Of Social Media By America's Soldiers, 44 J. Marshall L. Rev. 1085 (2011), David Johnsen

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Unconscionable Amateurism: How The Ncaa Violates Antitrust By Forcing Athletes To Sign Away Their Image Rights, 44 J. Marshall L. Rev. 533 (2011), Brian Welch

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Regulating Online Behavioral Advertising, 44 J. Marshall L. Rev. 899 (2011), Steven C. Bennett

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Fifteen Years Of Fame: The Declining Relevance Of Domain Names In The Enduring Conflict Between Trademark And Free Speech Rights, 11 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 1 (2011), Jude A. Thomas

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

Domain name disputes have been the subject of substantial litigation, legislative action, and scholarly debate over the course of the past fifteen years. Much of the debate is the product of disagreement concerning whether trademark rights naturally extend into the domain name space and to what extent those rights are limited by principles of free speech. Gripe sites are paradigmatic examples of this debate. Society’s investment in defining these rights continues to grow, even as the relevance of domain names may be declining, due to: (1) changes in the way users locate content on the Internet; (2) the growth of …

Trademarks, Identity, And Justice, 11 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 133 (2011), Rita Heimes

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

Intellectual property scholars have written extensively against expanding the scope of intellectual property laws, using social justice and distributive justice principles to support their arguments. A typical argument attacks broad adoption and enforcement of copyright laws that prevent access to information and therefore knowledge, or broad patent protection that reduces access to medicines and other important technologies. In recent years, a few scholars have begun to suggest that certain areas of intellectual property law—primarily copyright—may play a positive role in social justice. These arguments are founded on views of social and distributive justice that consider personal empowerment and freedom to …

Do You Mind My Smoking? Plain Packaging Of Cigarettes Under The Trips Agreement, 10 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 450 (2011), Alberto Alemanno, Enrico Bonadio

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

Plain packaging, a new tobacco control tool that a growing number of countries are considering, mandates the removal of all attractive and promotional aspects of tobacco product packages. As a result of plain packaging, the only authorized feature remaining on a tobacco package is the use of the brand name, displayed in a standard font, size, colour and location on the package. In opposing this new strategy, the tobacco industry is particularly keen on emphasizing the uselessness of plain packaging in reducing smoking rates and its incompatibility with trade mark provisions of international treaties. In particular, the tobacco industry and …

Twitter's Trademark Problems: Is The Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act Outdated?, 10 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 764 (2011), Cole C. Hardy

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

Under the Lanham Act there is no remedy for individuals when imposters register user names with corresponding post-domain paths containing protected trademarks on social network websites. While Twitter temporarily experimented with its own verification process, it currently does not help users of its site distinguish trademark owners’ pages from the imposters’ pages. Current law discouraging such activity only applies to domain names. This article proposes that with a minor change to the ACPA, the Lanham Act could be updated to help trademark owners protect their rights when infringing activity is experienced with social networking handles and the corresponding post-domain paths.

Google Analytics: Analyzing The Latest Wave Of Legal Concerns For Google In The U.S. And The E.U., 7 Buff. Intell. Prop. L.J. 135 (2010), Raizel Liebler, Keidra Chaney

UIC Law Open Access Faculty Scholarship

The next wave of concern regarding Google involves web analytics. Web analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis, and reporting of Internet data for the purposes of understanding and optimizing web usage. The concerns of web analytics use touches on issues of online user privacy, government use of personal information, and information on website user activity. While Google Analytics is not the sole web analytics product on the market, it is widely used by corporate, non-profit, and government organizations. The product has been reported to have a 59% market share among web analytics vendors in a 2008 study.

Web analytics technology …

Consumer Protection In The Eco-Mark Era: A Preliminary Survey And Assessment Of Anti-Greenwashing Activity And Eco-Mark Enforcement, 9 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 742 (2010), Eric L. Lane

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

We stand at the dawn of the Eco-mark Era—a period in which green branding, advertising environmentally friendly products and services, and touting sustainable business practices will be pervasive and profitable. However, with the rise of green branding comes the temptation of greenwashing—making false or misleading claims regarding environmentally friendly products, services or practices. Instances of greenwashing appear to be on the rise, but we are seeing more activity to combat greenwashing by public enforcement and consumer class actions. In addition, green brand owners are protecting and enforcing their eco-marks, and trademark litigation involving green brands is becoming commonplace. How is …

The Effects Of "Blue Magic": A Call To Punish Criminal Organizations That Benefit From The Use Of Trademarks, 9 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 912 (2010), Thomas J. Kelley

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

Throughout history, criminal organizations have produced, packaged, transported, marketed, and sold illegal products. These organizations and their individual members can be punished for all of the steps in this process, except one: marketing. These groups routinely market their products with trademarks affixed to the illegal products they sell, and benefit from these trademarks the same way a company like the Coca-Cola Company benefits from its trademarks. Criminal organizations should not be free to use trademarks without fear of any additional punishment for doing so. Congress and the United States Sentencing Commission should look at this issue to determine an appropriate …

Consumer-Generated Media And Advertising—Are They One And The Same? An Analysis Of The Amended Ftc Guides Concerning The Use Of Endorsements And Testimonials In Advertising, 10 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 206 (2010), Jessica Godell

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

The advertising industry as well as the endorsements and testimonials that support advertising have been expanding into new mediums for years. As a result of this continual growth, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) recently amended the FTC Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (“The Guides”). The FTC, which sought to apply The Guides to consumer-generated media for the very first time, had not amended The Guides prior to these revisions in three decades. As a result, the changes garnered a number of mixed reactions from the media, consumers and the advertising and legal industries. Under the …

Twitter: New Challenges To Copyright Law In The Internet Age, 10 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 231 (2010), Rebecca Haas

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

Twitter is part of the new wave of internet communication. It is unique because messages sent via Twitter are limited to 140 characters. Many of these messages are about mundane details of daily life, but some are creative, even literary, and may qualify for copyright protection. The problem,then, is not necessarily whether a Tweet can qualify for copyright protection, but how that protection is enforced. Current infringement policies and procedures are not designed to effectively handle copyright infringement on the internet. Internet infringement is widespread and not easy to monitor or regulate, therefore there is a need for a regulatory …

Social Networking As A Communications Weapon To Harm Victims: Facebook, Myspace, And Twitter Demonstrate A Need To Amend Section 230 Of The Communications Decency Act, 26 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 415 (2009), Joshua N. Azriel

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

The article discusses how social networking sites can pose a danger to victims of online offensive content. Part II provides an overall analysis of the dangers the Internet, especially social networking, poses to victims. Part III reviews Section 230 of the CDA, including the “Good Samaritan” provisions for social networking websites such as Twitter and Facebook. Part IV analyzes three recent court cases that demonstrate how these social networking tools are used as weapons to harm victims. Part V concludes with a discussion of how the growing number of online incidents stem from social networking sites. It recommends that Congress …

Embedded Advertising: Your Rights In The Tivo Era, 9 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 146 (2009), Ann K. Hagerty

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

As DVR usage rapidly increases, embedded advertising is evolving and blurring the line for the viewing public between advertising and content. The FCC responded by seeking public commentary and guidance on the regulations governing embedded advertising. The comments the FCC received revealed a heated debate between media industry advocates and those who seek to protect consumer interests. The recent increase in the practice of embedded advertising has only intensified this debate. A balance must be struck between the interests of the media industry and the viewing public. To do so, the FCC must adopt a regulatory scheme that commands viewers’ …

Social Networking And Blogging: The New Legal Frontier, 9 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 500 (2009), Robert Newman, Liisa Thomas

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

Improvements in communication technology have effectively made the world a smaller place. As businesses attempt to exploit these new technological improvements to better communicate their messages to their clients, these same improvements continue to raise new and difficult legal issues related to fair trade practices, privacy, and freedom of speech. This article identifies current legal developments related to advertising in the online world and analyzes the actions taken to resolve these new and difficult legal issues within the framework of United States federal and state law and private industry-specific self-governance.

The Future Of Privacy Policies: A Privacy Nutrition Label Filled With Fair Information Practices, 26 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 1 (2008), Corey A. Ciocchetti

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

The article looks at the threats accompanying online shopping, such as identity theft and aggregated data files. Such issues arise when companies carelessly lose laptops filled with unencrypted data or callously sell data on the open market with collected personally identifying information (PII). The article explains that although privacy policies are supposed to force companies to strengthen their privacy practices they are not always effective because companies often post inconspicuous, vague and legalese-filled policies. These ambiguous postings cause online shoppers to blindly submit PII and ignore privacy practices completely. The article proposes a solution to this problem through the standardization …

Is Fame All There Is? - Beating Global Monopolists At Their Own Marketing Game, 40 Geo. Wash. Int'l L. Rev. 123 (2008), Doris E. Long

UIC Law Open Access Faculty Scholarship

In the global economy of the twenty-first century, "coca-colanization" has become a painful economic reality for developing nations. With new branding strategies and a legal protection regime that favors the famous marks of global monopolists, local businesses are not only losing market share, they are also losing their ability to compete in a new environment where leveraged marks often have little relevance to the actual value of the products or services for local consumers. To counter these trends, and add rationality to the global trademark regime, developing countries must develop new strategies and a conscious policy that not only values …

Gambling And The Law®: The International Law Of Remote Wagering, 40 J. Marshall L. Rev. 1159 (2007), I. Nelson Rose

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Federal Election Commission & Political Blogging: A Perfect Balance Or Just Not Enough?, 24 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 611 (2006), Niki Vlachos

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

Inherent Attorney Conflicts Of Interest Under Erisa: Using The Model Rules Of Professional Conduct To Discourage Joint Representation Of Dual Role Fiduciaries, 39 J. Marshall L. Rev. 721 (2006), Paul M. Secunda

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Why Are Competitor's Advertising Links Displayed When I Google My Product? An Analysis Of Internet Search Engine Liability For Trademark Infringement, 5 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 431 (2006), Isaiah A. Fishman

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

Traditional federal trademark law is being challenged in the current case of Google v. AmericanBlind. When internet issues clash with trademark infringement, courts are often faced with the dangerous task of either refusing to stretch not specifically internet tailored trademark law to grant remedy to a perceived wrong or refusing to grant remedy because of the chilling effect the remedy may have on traditional trademark. By analyzing the history of trademark law in relation with internet issues, focusing on domain name cases, pop-up advertising cases, and search engine cases, it becomes clear that specific congressional action is the most viable …

Regulating The Regulators: The Impact Of Fda Regulation On Corporations' First Amendment Rights, 39 J. Marshall L. Rev. 95 (2005), Lisa M. Fealk-Stickler

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Www.Yourname.Com: How Useful Is The Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy ("Udrp") In Protecting Personal Names From Cybersquatters?, 22 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 535 (2004), Georgette H. Tarnow

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.