Protecting Your Internet Brand

BOISE STATE UNIVERSITYBOISE STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICSCOLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS
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

@bfrazjdbfrazer@hawleytroxell.com 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:

ELEMENTS OF BRANDELEMENTS OF BRAND
• Now . . .
• Brand is limited in scope only by your
imagination.
• Careful policing is necessary.
• Consider T-shirt hypothetical.

ELEMENTS OFELEMENTS 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”

““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.

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.

Use and RegistrationUse and Registration
• Trademark Rights Accrue Through Use
• Registration:
• State
• Federal
• International

bfrazer@hawleytroxell.com
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.

bfrazer@hawleytroxell.com
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

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

Are trademarks and domainAre 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 . . .

Moral of the Story:Moral of the Story:
• Be Aware
• Be Proactive
• Failure to do so leads to loss of
brand, goodwill, and valuation.

How to Choose TrademarksHow to Choose Trademarks
and Domain Namesand Domain 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.

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

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

From a WHOIS search at nsi.com:
Domain microsoftsucks.com:
Secaucus Group Inc
PTY 4684
BOX 0843-03073
Balboa, Ancon 0000 PA
Administrative contact: Technical contact: Billing contact: Secaucus
Group Inc
Domain Administrator dparisi@garden.net
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

The “Picket Fence” DefenseThe “Picket Fence” Defense
• gTLDs—good Link
• But beware, e.g., .xxx
• ccTLDs—better Link
• But beware, e.g., .co
• Beware front running
• I like Moniker!

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?

Search Engine Optimization (“SEO”)Search Engine Optimization (“SEO”)
• Find the “800-pound Gorillas”
• Legal issues: beware claims of
cybersquatting and trademark
infringement.
• The “Terri Welles” defense

Memes, Viral Marketing and SoMeMemes, Viral Marketing and SoMe
• 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

Take-AwaysTake-Aways
1. Own Your Internet Brand
2. Police Your Internet Brand
3. Enforce and Protect Your Internet
Brand
4. Maximize Value in Your Internet
Brand
5. Sell(?) Your Brand

Conclusion and Q&AConclusion and Q&A
Brad FrazerBrad Frazer
bfrazer@hawleytroxell.combfrazer@hawleytroxell.com
208.388.4875208.388.4875
@bfrazjd@bfrazjd

Protecting Your Internet Brand

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