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Trademark, Copyright, Advertising & the Law

Providing practical knowledge, interesting updates and insights for companies and legal practitioners to help navigate complex trademark, copyright, advertising and related legal issues

Trademark, Copyright, Advertising & the Law Blog
Marketing Meets IP: How to Stay Creative Without Crossing Legal Lines
Blog January 05, 2026
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, marketing teams are under constant pressure to create bold, engaging campaigns. But creativity often collides with legal risk, especially when referencing other brands, copyrighted works, or celebrity likenesses…
The Top 5 Most Fashionable Intellectual Property Disputes To Walk This Year's Runways at New York Fashion Week
Blog February 06, 2020
New York Fashion Week (NYFW) officially kicks off tomorrow, February 7, 2020, with a week's worth of captivating runway shows from top designers.  The timing, however, could not be worse, since the 92nd Academy Awards is airing on February 9th, dead smack in the middle of Fashion Week.  Due to this scheduling snafu, designer Tom Ford, who styles top actresses walking the red carpet at the Oscars…
Recent FTC and FDA Warning Letters May Hold Lessons For Cannabis Advertisers
Blog July 12, 2019
Last month the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent joint warning letters to four companies that manufacture and advertise flavored liquids used in vaping (“e-liquids”).  While the letters focus on the nicotine content of the products, they should nevertheless be of interest to cannabis advertisers because they demonstrate a continued regulatory focus on vaping and suggest a framework that may soon apply more broadly to the promotion of retail……
Regulators Step Up Scrutiny of Cryptocurrency Advertising as Industry Stance Softens
Blog July 13, 2018
We posted earlier this year about increased scrutiny of cryptocurrency advertising, especially the promotion of Initial Coin Offerings, or ICOs.  The key takeaway from that post was that the frenzy around cryptocurrencies – including as an investment opportunity for individuals who aren't otherwise active investors – has led to a number of efforts to curtail cryptocurrency promotion, from both regulators and industry stakeholders. Since that post…
An Influencer Award for a Kardashian, but Not from the FTC
Blog May 18, 2018
If you've ever lamented that Kim Kardashian West just doesn't receive enough recognition for her efforts at promoting her own and other brands, we have exciting news for you. Women's Wear Daily reports that the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) announced last week that Kim will be the recipient of its first ever “Influencer Award” at the CFDA Fashion Awards on June 4…
Whois, We Hardly Knew Ye: GDPR Spells Doom For Domain Name Ownership Transparency
Blog May 04, 2018
By now, our readers are likely familiar with the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), the sweeping, European Union-wide legal and regulatory regime that provides enhanced protections for personal data.  The GDPR, which goes in effect on May 25, 2018, is expected to reshape the digital data landscape in the EU and beyond.  My colleague Catherine Muyl (from our Paris office) provided a helpful GDPR overview back in January…
FTC Settles Claims Over Deceptive “Made in USA” Ads By Haberdasher That Wore Two Hats
Blog April 24, 2018
When you tell consumers that your product is made in the United States, you are not just giving them the manufacturing location. You are invoking their national pride, their concern about their country's place in the world, and their anxieties about their own jobs. It's a powerful marketing toolbox. Perhaps for that reason, some advertisers loudly tout their products as “Made in USA” even when it's not true. To combat such tactics…
Retro-Grade: Vintage Taste Test Claim Offers Lessons for Today's Advertisers
Blog March 23, 2018
Welcome to Retro-Grade, another new series from Foley Hoag's Advertising and Marketing Law blog.  Here we take a trip down memory lane, looking at classic American ads from days gone by and examining issues that might arise if those ads were run today.  As the name of the series implies, we give each ad a grade.  We are not at liberty to disclose the details of our proprietary grading scheme…
Bitcoin Takes A Hit As Cryptocurrency Advertising Faces Increased Scrutiny
Blog March 20, 2018
Crypto is a Greek prefix meaning “secret” or “hidden.”  Unless you live under a rock, or in one of several countries like Bolivia where buying and selling it is illegal, there is nothing secret or hidden about cryptocurrency.  It's everywhere.  And public interest in cryptocurrency has led to lots of advertising, mostly on social media and the internet. Spurred on by an incredible—some might say too-good-to-be-true—increase in value in late 2017…
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ABOUT

Foley Hoag’s Trademark, Copyright, Advertising & the Law blog aims to provide practical knowledge and insights for companies and legal practitioners to help them navigate complex trademark, copyright, and advertising law legal issues. 

Our authors, comprised of attorneys from the firm’s Trademark, Copyright & Unfair Competition and Advertising & Marketing practices, have been active in trademark, copyright, and advertising space for decades. We advise our clients on the availability of marks and names, prepare and prosecute domestic and foreign applications for marks, and monitor and maintain thousands of registrations worldwide. We help clients exploit their brands through trademark licensing and provide clients with the legal and contractual protection they need to maximize the commercial potential of their brands without jeopardizing their rights. We have extensive experience in the policing, enforcement and defense of our clients’ trademark rights, representing our clients in civil litigation, administrative proceedings and arbitration in the U.S. and abroad. We also specialize in advising clients on trademark matters in connection with emerging media and the Internet, including domain name and Internet keyword disputes.

Our team also handles a variety of copyright matters. We offer advice regarding copyright registration and assist clients in policing and enforcing copyrights against infringers, including actions involving the Internet and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). We are counsel to some of the largest corporations in the U.S. in defending against claims of copyright infringement. We also focus on related complex unfair competition matters, as well as disputes involving trade secrets, false advertising, comparative advertising, defamation, and commercial disparagement. We work with clients to determine acceptable limits in client advertising and assist clients in evaluating advertising and related statements by competitors that cross the line into deception, disparagement, and defamation. We also help clients evaluate and address the theft of trade secrets, including by ex-employees, data thieves, and hackers.

Foley Hoag lawyers are leaders in their field. In addition to being well known in the business community and the courts, they are active members and leaders of the International Trademark Association, the Food and Drug Law Institute, the National Advertising Division of the Better Business Bureau, and other professional organizations. They frequently lecture, teach, and publish in the fields of trademark and unfair competition. As members of these organizations, they participate actively in shaping law and policy.

Webinar Series

Foley Hoag’s Trademark, Copyright & Unfair Competition practice group presents a webinar series designed exclusively for in-house counsel and business executives that discusses timely legal issues impacting business decisions in the areas of trademark, trade dress, copyright, trade secret, Internet, domain name, false advertising, defamation, commercial disparagement and other unfair competition.

Click here to subscribe to our webinar series invitation list.