Dr. Dariush Adli

Consideration of Non-Traditional Trademarks in Branding Strategy

Many are surprised to learn that a scent can be a trademark. For example, toy and board game company Hasbro has registered the “Play-Dough” scent mark, which it described as “a sweet, slightly musky, vanilla fragrance, with slight overtones of cherry, combined with the smell of a salted, wheat-based dough.” The Play-Dough scent mark is…

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The Unappreciated Value of Design Patents

By: Dr. Dariush Adli Design patents are often treated as the forgotten sibling of their better known and more popular utility patents.  That is unfortunate because it fails to give proper recognition to the tremendous potential of design patents to add value to a business’s bottom line.  Relative to utility patents, design patents are inexpensive…

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ADLI Secures Registered Trademark for Cellphone Accessories Company

ADLI has successfully obtained a registered trademark (No.88193617) for a cellphone accessories company. With this trademark, ADLI’s client is protected from unauthorized use of the mark by competitors, which, in turn will help the client establish and spread its distinguishing brand identity. ADLI’s trademark law services include obtaining trademark registration both in the U.S. and…

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The Americans with Disability Act Celebrates its 30th Anniversary ––– Are You Affected by the Law?

July marks the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA is a broad civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private buildings and accommodations that are open to the general public. The purpose of…

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Coming changes to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, Daily Journal (July 1, 2020)

The 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), was designed to protect copyright owners from unauthorized use of their works on the internet and to protect online service providers (OSPs) from legal responsibility for their users’ infringing acts.  Under DMCA’s “safe harbor” provision, OSP’s are immune from such liability so long as they implement certain steps…

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COVID-19 and Commercial Frustration

With the COVID-19 wreaking havoc on California’s economy, many of the adversely affected businesses increasingly find themselves unable to perform their contractual obligations. Hardest hit are businesses declared non-essential and ordered to shut down, including movie theaters, cruise liners, sport stadiums, restaurants, convention centers, clothing outlets, barbers and beauty salons, etc.  Other businesses such as…

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Los Angeles Lawyer Published:Generic Branding: The Issue of Determining how Genericness may be Applied

In the recent article published in the Los Angeles Lawyer, Dr. Dariush Adli discusses trademark genericness for .com brands and how courts go about making that determination. The issue is now before the Supreme Court, which is expected to issue its decision by June. Click link to read the full version of the article: https://bit.ly/3arCJzh….

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Daily Journal PUBLISHED: Supreme Court to Decide if Recovery of Trademark Infringer’s Profits Requires Willfulness

Supreme Court to Decide if Recovery of Trademark Infringer’s Profits Requires Willfulness, Daily Journal (April 14, 2020) In an article published in the Daily Journal, Dr. Dariush Adli discusses oral arguments recently heard by the Supreme Court on a high profile case that will have profound impact on damages available to plaintiffs in trademark infringement…

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Ruling Will Make It Harder to Prove Copyright Infringement, Daily Journal (April 3, 2020)

In an article published in the Daily Journal, Dr. Dariush Adli  discusses a recent 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling, which will likely make it harder for copyright owners to prove infringement of their works.  The en-banc decision overruled a 43 year old 9th Circuit precedent, known as the “inverse ratio rule,” under which a copyright owner…

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ADLI Successfully Defends Business Against ADA Violation Claim Brought by Frequent ADA Litigant Plaintiff’s Attorney

In the past few years, the number of complaints filed in federal court alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) for construction-related deficiencies has skyrocketed. In the Central District of California alone, such cases have risen from composing approximately 3% of all civil actions filed in 2013 to compose 24% of all civil…

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