Patricia M. Flanagan

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Patricia Flanagan helps emerging and industry leading companies protect and enforce their U.S. and international intellectual property rights. She focuses on representing clients in the strategic management and utilization of their trademark portfolios, including procurement, maintenance, licensing, and asserting and defending trademark and unfair competition litigation. From startups to established global companies, Patricia’s clients span a diverse range of sectors, including retail, fashion, and hospitality brands; international music festivals; production companies and entertainment professionals; technology and software companies; private equity firms; and real estate owners and developers.

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B&B Hardware Precludes Defense To Likelihood Of Confusion In District Court

By Ira S. Sacks and Patricia M. Flanagan on Posted in IP Litigation, Trademarks, TTAB
In 2015, the Supreme Court, in its decision in B&B Hardware, Inc. v. Hargis Industries, Inc. (“B&B”), held that sometimes issue preclusion should apply to prior Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB”) decisions. 135 S. Ct. 1293 (2015). Under this directive, if the TTAB decides the issue of “likelihood of confusion” when making a determination … Continue Reading

NY Common Law Does Not Provide Creators With Control Over Public Performances of Pre-1972 Sound Recordings

By Ira S. Sacks and Patricia M. Flanagan on Posted in Copyrights
On December 20, 2016, the New York Court of Appeals (New York’s highest court) issued a landmark state copyright law decision, holding in response to a certified question from the Second Circuit in Flo & Eddie, Inc. v. Sirius XM Radio, Inc., that New York law does not recognize a right of public performance for … Continue Reading

Ninth Circuit Revives Trader Joe’s Federal Trademark Claims Brought In Washington Against “Pirate Joe’s” Operating In Canada

By Ira S. Sacks and Patricia M. Flanagan on Posted in IP Litigation, Trademarks
In Trader Joe’s Company v. Michael Norman Hallatt, the Ninth Circuit recently found that Trader Joe’s allegations of infringing conduct occurring within Canada supported a cognizable claim under the Lanham Act. In particular, Trader Joe’s, a well-known American grocery store chain, filed suit in federal court in Washington State in 2013, alleging trademark and unfair … Continue Reading

The FTC Social Media Consent Order Against SmartClick

By Ira S. Sacks and Patricia M. Flanagan on Posted in False Advertising
The FTC continues its efforts to combat deceptive social media advertising. Recently, the FTC brought an enforcement action against SmartClick Media LLC and its owner. The FTC alleged that SmartClick engaged in the following deceptive and misleading conduct: (1)        operating a “Doctor Trusted” certification program under which “Doctor Trusted” seals were sold for use … Continue Reading

The 2015 FTC Policy Statement: An Advertisement Can Be Deceptive Based On Formatting

By Ira S. Sacks and Patricia M. Flanagan on Posted in False Advertising
Starting a few years ago, the FTC began increasing its efforts to address online disclosures in new media. For example, in 2013, the FTC issued .com Disclosures: How To Make Effective Disclosures in Digital Advertising, which provided new guidance for mobile and other online advertisers on how to make online disclosures clear and conspicuous to … Continue Reading
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