Chart of Assignments
Assignments updated as of: September 5, 2026.
Please refresh this page to see the latest version.
Back to Trademarks 2026 main webpage
HELPFUL NOTES:
The entire Volume A of readings is now available, for your convenience, in PDF format and in DOCX format.
Much of the course's future reading, not yet tied to specific dates, can now be seen in the Topic by Topic section, below.
Day by Day:
Week No 1
TUESDAY August 25 No 1
0. About the Course
No reading required for this for today.
1. Orientation to Trademark Law
and Its Context
Read Unit 1 (pp. 1-13) in Reading Packet A1 [pdf].
WEDNESDAY August 26 No 2
2. Trademark’s Fundamental Concepts
Read Unit 2 (pp. 15-29) in Reading Packet A1 [pdf].
- The Trade-Mark Cases (U.S. 1879)
- Champion Spark Plug v. Sanders (used spark plugs) (U.S. 1947)
- Kellogg v. Nabisco ("shredded wheat" for shredded wheat) (U.S. 1938)
Week No 2
TUESDAY September 2 No 3
2. Trademark’s Fundamental Concepts, continued
We'll finish our discussion of last class's reading, including Kellogg v. Nabisco.
3. Registration and the Trademark Office
Read Unit 3B §3.3 & 3.4, i.e. pp. 51-57 in Reading Packet A3 [pdf].
WEDNESDAY September 3 No 4
0. About the Course, continued
Please read the syllabus, if you haven't yet.
3. Registration and the Trademark Office, continued
Read Unit 3B §3.5, i.e. pp. 58-70 in Reading Packet A3 [pdf].
- In re Jason Jimenez (Gasper vs. Jasper) (TTAB 2025)
4. Failure to Function
Read Unit 4, i.e. pp. 71-87 in Reading Packet A3 [pdf].
- In re Erik Brunetti (“fuck” failure to function) (Fed Cir. 2025)
Week No 3
TUESDAY September 8 No 5
4. Failure to Function, continued
We'll finish our discussion of last class's reading.
5. Distinctiveness
- Zatarains v. Oak Grove Smokehouse (Fish-Fri, Chick-Fri) (5th Cir. 1983)
WEDNESDAY September 9 No 6
6. Secondary Meaning; Acquired Distinctiveness
- In re Walsh (Performance Nutrition) (TTAB 2016)
Week No 4
TUESDAY September 15 No 7
To be posted. (Note that future assignments, not yet tied to specific dates, can be seen in the Topic by Topic section, below)
WEDNESDAY September 16 No 8
To be posted. (Note that future assignments, not yet tied to specific dates, can be seen in the Topic by Topic section, below)
Topic by Topic:
Reading materials:
Unit 1 through Unit 13 are in Volume A, available in PDF format and DOCX format.
0. About the Course
Please read the syllabus.
1. Orientation to Trademark Law
and Its Context
Read Unit 1.
2. Trademark’s Fundamental Concepts
Read Unit 2.
- The Trade-Mark Cases (U.S. 1879)
- Champion Spark Plug v. Sanders (used spark plugs) (U.S. 1947)
- Kellogg v. Nabisco ("shredded wheat" for shredded wheat) (U.S. 1938)
3. Registration and the Trademark Office
Read Unit 3A and Unit 3B.
- In re Jason Jimenez (Gasper vs. Jasper) (TTAB 2025)
4. Failure to Function
Read Unit 4.
- In re Erik Brunetti (“fuck” failure to function) (Fed Cir. 2025)
5. Distinctiveness
- Zatarains v. Oak Grove Smokehouse (Fish-Fri, Chick-Fri) (5th Cir. 1983)
6. Secondary Meaning; Acquired Distinctiveness
Read Unit 6 [pdf].
- In re Walsh (Performance Nutrition) (TTAB 2016)
7. Genericness
Read Unit 7 in Volume A [pdf].
- Filipino Yellow Pages v. Asian Journal Publications (Filipino Yellow Pages) (9th Cir. 1999)
- USPTO v. Booking.com (booking.com) (U.S. 2020)
- Elliott v. Google (google/googling) (9th Cir. 2017)
8. Establishing Rights Through Use
Read Unit 8 in Volume A [pdf].
- FN Herstal v. Clyde Armory (SCAR) (11th Cir. 2016)
- Hana Financial, Inc. v. Hana Bank (Hana, tacking) (U.S. 2015)
- Illinois High School Ass’n v. GTE Vantage (March Madness) (7th Cir. 1996)
9. Ownership and Priority
Read Unit 9 in Volume A [pdf].
- Burger King v. Hoots (Burger King) (7th Cir. 1968)
- Bell v. Streetwise Records (New Edition) (D. Mass. 1986)
10. Deceptiveness, Geography, Names, and Offensive Word Marks
Read Unit 10 in Volume A [pdf].
- In re Budge (Lovee Lamb) (Fed. Cir. 1988)
- Iancu v. Brunetti (FUCT) (U.S. 2019)
- Vidal v. Elster (U.S. 2024)
11. Trademark Transactions, Goodwill, Licensee Estoppel, and Abandonment
Read Unit 11 in Volume A [pdf].
- FreecycleSunnyvale v. Freecycle Network (Freecycle) (9th Cir. 2010)
- Westco v. K.B. (Mattress Warehouse) (N.D. Ohio 2001)
12. Likelihood of Confusion for Word Marks
Read Unit 12 in Volume A [pdf].
- Virgin v. Nawab ("Virgin" for cell phones) (2d Cir. 2003)
Re-review Part II of In re Jason Jimenez case in Unit 3B §3.5 in Volume A [pdf] (or in Packet A3 [pdf]).
- In re Jason Jimenez (Gasper vs. Jasper) (TTAB 2025)
13. Requirement of Defendant’s Use-in-Commerce for Trademark Infringement
Read Unit 13 in Volume A [pdf].
- Radiance v. NAACP (4th Cir. 2015)