Earlier this year, the company GG Strains gained national media attention when it was issued a trademark registration for the strain Gorilla Glue #4. (Not as much attention as GG Strains received a couple months later when it was sued by the actual glue company, but that’s a subject for another blog post.) A trademark registration, you ask? For a strain name? Not so fast—it was a Colorado state registration for GORILLA GLUE #4, and the Colorado Secretary of State also issued a registration for an accompanying design mark, both in Class 031, covering “medical cannabis, the specific Gorilla Glue #4 hybrid cannabis plant strain.” These registrations are surprising, given that as a matter of law, a cannabis strain name cannot function as a trademark.
Buds R NOT Us: Choose Your Trademark Wisely
In late August, Buds R Us, a small medical marijuana dispensary in Detroit, Michigan, received a cease and desist letter from counsel for Toys R Us, Inc., the international toy company, alleging trademark infringement. At issue are two marks—the word mark BUDS R US, and a design mark featuring a giraffe with bloodshot eyes smoking a cone joint. The marks are used in connection with cannabis and related goods. The letter claimed that use of these marks by Buds R Us creates a likelihood of consumer confusion with the TOYS R US word mark and the design mark depicting Geoffrey the Giraffe, the Toys R Us mascot, both of which are used to sell toys. In response, Buds R Us decided to change its name and branding.
There are a few key lessons here for cannabis companies.
Searching For A (Law)Suit?
Avoiding Copyright and Trademark Infringement on the Internet
There are over a billion websites on the web. Although about 75% are inactive, a Google search suggests several hundred thousand are dedicated to cat videos. If you’re not in the cat entertainment industry, that still leaves tens of millions of websites containing words, logos, images, audio, or video that might seem perfect for your website or social media.
It’s tempting to repurpose content as your own. But beware—the internet is rife with infringement possibilities. Here are some common issues we’ve flagged to steer you clear of infringement. Keep in mind, the best course of action is to confer with counsel before you “borrow” content.