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Cannabis and Intellectual Property
HOW TO BUILD, REGISTER, LICENSE, AND PROTECT YOUR BRAND
TRAVIS COPEN H AVER | C AN N ABIS LEGAL GR OUP
What is a Brand?
• A“brand”istraditionallyconsideredasetofuniqueidentifyingmaterials thatdifferentiateonefromitscompetitors.
• It’sthenameofyourcompany,yourlogo,andyourfootprintintheindustry.
• Yourbrandistypicallyassociatedwithalevelofqualityorcredibility andbecomesarepresentationofyourreputationandidentityinamarketplace.
• Brandingcanbebroad,suchasanoverallcorporateidentity,ornarrow,suchastailoredaspecificproduct.
• Communicationsinanyformcanhaveanimpactoncustomers’perceptions
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Thinkdifferent®
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Why should you develop your brand?• Distinguishyourproductsandservices• Simplifyconsumerdecisions• Simplifyproducthandling• Protectunique features• Brandloyalty• Brandreputation• MarketingandAdvertising• Professionalism
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What is Intellectual Property?Intangibleproperty,creationsofthemind
Creativeworksandinventionswhichexistinaformthatcanbeshared,recreated,emulated,ormanufactured
TypesofIP:• Patents• Copyrights• Trademarks• TradeDress• TradeSecrets
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Intellectual Property Rights for Goods
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How do Brands & Intellectual Property overlap?
Focusonthe“Property”• IntellectualProperty involvesownership• Something youownthatyoucanpossess,use,enjoy,ordisposeof• Youcanpreventothersfrompossessing, using,enjoying, ordisposing
Yourbrandwillinvolveacollectionofmaterialsandconcepts• Someofthesekeymaterialscan(andshould)beprotected• Somematerialsyoumightwanttoprotectwillnotqualify forprotectionduetothelimitationsofIP
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Patents•Propertyrightsgrantedtoaninventortoexcludeothersfromusing,making,orsellinganinvention
•Amonopolyoveraninvention
•Onlynew,specific,non-obviousinventionswillqualify
Utility Patents• Inventionsinvolvingmachines,processes,methods,andcompositions• Anythingmanufacturedthathasausefulandspecificfunction• AccordingtotheUnitedStatesPatentandTrademarkOffice(USPTO),90%ofpatentsareutilitypatents
Design Patents• Inventionsinvolvingaestheticappearance,design,shape,orgeneralornamentation
• Thisprotectsonlytheappearanceofanarticle,butnotitsstructuralorfunctionalfeatures
Plant Patent
• Protectsthediscoveryorinventionofplantsthatareasexually reproduced
• Hybrids(notcountingthe1st generation),mutants,sports,andotherplantvarietiescanhaveplantpatents
• Designed topreventothersfromgrowingandsellingplantsorseeds
• TherearecurrentlyseveralplantpatentspendingbeforetheUSPTOforcannabisrelated inventions
• PatentNo.6,630,507:Cannabinoidshavebeenfoundtohaveantioxidantproperties,unrelatedtoNMDAreceptorantagonism.(OwnedbytheU.S.Government)
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TrademarksAnyword,symbol,image,slogan,orotherobservablefeatureusedtoidentifythesourceofagoodorservice
Brandingmaterialsusedspecificallytolabelandidentifyproductsorofferings
Keyconcepts• Themark• Useincommerce• Connection totheproductorservice• Sourceidentification
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CopyrightsOriginalworksofauthorshipfixedtoatangiblemedium
Creatingsomethingandreducingdown• Books,songs,movies,photographs• Websites• SOP’s
TheRighttoCopy• Theright toreproduceandcreatederivativeworks• Forexample,changing thecolororbackgroundofalogo• Modifying something forspecificuses
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Trade SecretsAnysecretinformationthatacompanydeemsofvalue
Secretformulas◦ Coca-cola®receipe◦ KFCTMsecretblendof11herbsandspices
Customerlists
Nutrientrecipes
Secretscanbeprotectionforever,solongastheinformationdoesnotbecomepublic
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Using IP Protection to Protect your Brand• Identifykeymaterialso Companynameo Productnameso Logoo SlogansoWebsitelayouto Advertisementso Createddocuments
• Identifyavailableprotections
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Trademark ProtectionAtrademarkcannotexistifitisnottiedtoaspecificgoodorservice• IdentifytheMark• IdentifytheProductorService
Examples:• McDonald’s® referstoalineoffastfood restaurants• Apple® referstocomputers,phones, andretailstores• Nike®referstoshoesandapparelproducts
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Different Levels of Trademark ProtectionCommonLawTrademarks• Protectionthrough usealone◦ Limitedtoactualuseandgeographicallocations
StateRegisteredTrademarks• Establishesadditionalprotections◦ Limitedtoastate’sborders
FederallyRegisteredTrademarks• Thehighest leveloftrademarkprotection• Protectioninall50statesandU.S.Territories
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Benefits of Federal Trademark Registration• Legalpresumption thatownerofthemark• Legalpresumption ofrighttousethemark• Putspubliconnoticeofownershipofthemark• MarkislistedintheUSPTOdatabase• RegistrationcanberecordedwithU.S.Customsand• BorderProtection toblockcounterfeiting fromentering.• Righttobring legalactionconcerningmarkinfederalcourt• Useregistrationasabasisforforeignfiling• Abletousethefederalregistrationsymbol:®
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Trademark Challenges for the Medical Marihuana Industry• Trademarkregistrationisafederalprotection, sotheUSPTOwillnot registermarksthatdescribegoodsorservicesthatviolatetheControlledSubstancesAct.
• Thisincludesanyproductorservicethatinvolvesmanufacturing, distributing, dispensing, orpossessingmarihuanaormarihuana-basedpreparations.
• TheUSPTOwillnotregisteranymarkthatinvolves“drugparaphernalia”oranyequipment, product, ormaterialofanykindwhichisprimarily intendedordesigned foruseinmanufacturing, compounding,converting, concealing,producing, processing,preparing, injecting, ingesting, inhaling, orotherwiseintroducingmarihuanaintothehumanbody.
• Notonlyareactualmarihuanaproductsprohibited, anyancillarytools,equipment, orservicesdirectlyinvolvingmarihuanawillnotqualify forregistration.
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State Trademark OptionsFEDERALTRADEMARKS
• FilingscannotviolatetheControlledSubstancesAct(Oranylaw)
• ComprehensiveExamination
•Nationwideprotection
•OptionsforCustomandBoarderPatrolorForeignTrademarkRights
• Federalreviewfor“confusinglysimilarmarks”
• Legalpresumptionsincourt
• Accesstothefederalcourtsystem
• Potentialforadditionaldamages
• Potentialforattorneyfees
• Potentialforstatutorydamages
STATETRADEMARKS
•Medicalmarihuanaislegalunderstatelawandqualifies formarkregistration
• Examinationprocessisnotverythorough
•Protectionlimitedtothestate
•Rightsarenotasrobustasfederalmarks,noraretheylitigatedasofteninthestatecourtsystems
•Accessto,andadditional rightsinthestateyouhaveregistered
•Mustregisteronastatebystatebasis
•Musthaveactualuseinthestatetofile
•Goodoption formarijuanabusinesses, pooroptionformostotherindustries
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Other Federal OptionsEstablishIndirectProtection• Thinkaboutyourbrandasmorethanmarijuana• Whatotherproductsorservicesdoyouprovide?
QualifyingGoodsandServices• Apparel• Merchandise• Informationalwebsites– blogs,educationalmaterials,advocacy• Getcreative
Example:• HighTimes®- magazinesandbooksaboutcannabis
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Examples of Federally Registered Cannabis
Trademarks
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Bay Area Green Cross Dispensary, LLCOwner:BayAreaGreenCrossDispensary,Inc.
Service:Providingawebsitefeaturingmedicalcannabisresources,namely,providingonlinemedicalinformationpertainingtomedicinalcannabis
Registered:April28,2015
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Om of MedicineOwner:OmofMedicine(AnnArbor,MIDispensary)
Educationservices:providingon-lineresearcharticlesandresourcesinthefieldofmedicalmarijuana
Registered:February10,2015
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Loud Amerika, LLCOwner:LoudAmerika,LLC
Products:T-shirts
Registered:April4,2017
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420 Unlimited, LLCOwner:420Unlimited,LLC
Products:apparel,includingHoodies;Jerseys;Shirts;Sweatpants;Sweatshirts;T-shirts;andheadwear
Registered:September26,2017
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Brickley Media, LLCOwner:Brickley Media,LLC
Service:On-linejournals,namely,blogsfeaturingfoodanddiscussinggourmetedibles
Registered:September5,2017